Microsoft Leaves U.N. Standards Group

pk2000 writes "Microsoft withdrew from a United Nations software standards group for commerce. 'Unfortunately, for now, we have made the decision to stop participating in U.N./Cefact for business reasons and this serves as notification of our immediate withdrawal from all U.N./Cefact activities.' This might be connected to Microsoft's intention to build up its patent portfolio. Currently it has about 5,000 patents and seeks to at least double this number by the end of 2005."

Comments

Re:from the least-surprising-news-of-the-day dept

[JamesKPolk]

You definitely mean GNU, not Linux. Keep in mind that to follow the development of Linux you have to use proprietary software (Bitkeeper), and Torvalds ays that if you object to that you are "thinking with your gonads."

Re:Nice!

[LaCosaNostradamus]

No, isolation like this is a method of cutting other people's throats. Often, literally. America is an Empire turning more and more to violence to meet goals; a mark of increasing power in a waning culture. The American government is gearing up a world-wide rapid-response military to serve the government's only constituents: business corporations. If I were you, I'd arm myself for the day when some American helicopter comes over your horizon. Yes, they may even be there for Microsoft's patents.