HP Memo Predicts MS Patent Attacks on Open Source

Roblimo writes "A two-year-old internal HP memo has just surfaced that talks about how 'Microsoft could attack Open Source Software for patent infringements against OEMs, Linux distributors, and least likely open source developers. They are specifically upset about Samba, Apache and Sendmail.' NewsForge has the story, including the memo's full text, a response from Eben Moglen (who says the memo's author misinterprets part of the GPL), and a statement from HP saying they love open source, really they do, even though 'Microsoft continues to be one of HP's strongest partners.'"

Comments

Microsoft is the suxx0rz.

[rice_burners_suck]

If Microsoft does go after free software for its use of so-called alleged "patent infringing"--and it is most likely that if something infringes, according to the letter of the law but not its spirit or any interpretation that uses the smallest amount of common sense--if Microsoft goes after the "infringers" so described, then it is likely that many businesses will shy away from adopting many free software programs. This means several things.

First, it means that we won't have n00bi3 lus3rz complaining that Linux isn't friendly because the desktop isn't bloated enough and doesn't offer enough shiny things to click on that cause the hard drive to grind for 30 minutes and then the computer crashes. This is beneficial to the free software developer community because we'll have more time to spend developing good algorithms for useful things that might not look pretty, as opposed to wasting a lot of time supporting all kinds of retarded bloated insecure standards that make the computer do stupid things because that's what PHBs want.

Secondly, it means that some of Microsoft's retarded patents that shouldn't have been awarded in the first place will come under close scrutiny.

Third, it means that the government will find a reason to bust Microsoft, because this is so obvious that even the government, the most retarded entity in existance, will eventually figure it out.

Fourth, the broken patent system, and the larger encompassing and more thoroughly broken system known as intellectual property, will come under scrutiny.

Fifth, you can rest assured that the software will continue to be developed. You'll just have to download it from some other country and assemble the pieces on your own.

Sixth, a lot of script kiddies, 1337 h4x0rz, black hats, and otherwise disgruntled programmers will get mad and make tons and tons and tons and tons more viruses, worms, hacks, cracks, r00t kits, and other problems targeting the various broken Microsoft platforms. Because Microsoft software is so shitty, so broken, so bloated, so garbagey, so junky, so crappy, so slimy, so dirty, so slopped together, that no matter how many infinites of infinites of infinites, to the infinite power, to the infinite power, to the infinite power of the infinite power, of monkeys they have over there pounding on keyboards, they will never be able to patch the shit up faster than 1337z h4x0rz can make hacks for it. And that means that try as they might, Microsoft will NOT be able to put the genie of free software back into the bottle from whence it came. Because the genie is out of the bottle.

Bill and Darl are a bunch of fucking dorks. They can take a long walk on a short pier for all I care. FUCK MS!!!!! MS SUCKS!!!!!!