Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Author of Linux Patent Study Contradicts Ballmer

Posted by michael on from the that's-unpossible dept.

An anonymous reader sends us this EWeek story, following-up on the recent Linux patent scare. The author of the patent study is contacted, and says, "Open source faces no more, if not less, legal risk than proprietary software. The market needs to understand that the study Microsoft is citing actually proves the opposite of what they claim it does."

5 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. What? by Goo.cc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft mischaracterizes what someone says just for FUD purposes? Naaa, that would never happen.

  2. The author needs to learn how to do math ... by Keeper · · Score: 5, Funny

    "In fact, the study said Linux potentially violates 283 software patents, not
    'over 228' as Ballmer said in his speech."

    Last time I checked 283 was over 228 ...

    1. Re:The author needs to learn how to do math ... by dbIII · · Score: 4, Funny
      "In fact, the study said Linux potentially violates 283 software patents
      I always said that using the group name "wheel" was a bad idea, and now someone's gone ahead and patented the wheel - so we're all in trouble.

      In a lot of cases software patents don't make sense.

  3. Re:Not really by jokumuu · · Score: 5, Funny
    but, still, it just boils down to making a simple unstated assumption that changes the whole outcome of the data.

    Unfortunately this is a trend that is increasing in our society, one takes a fact or group of facts out of context and uses that to prove something.

  4. Re:Not really by Heisenbug · · Score: 4, Funny
    but, still, it just boils down to making a simple unstated assumption that changes the whole outcome of the data.

    Unfortunately this is a trend that is increasing in our society, one takes a fact or group of facts out of context and uses that to prove something.


    My god ... you just took one isolated fact to make a sweeping generalization about the way our society makes generalizations from isolated facts. Come on, mods, where's the +5 Funny? That comment was comic genius.