Microsoft Stoking the IP Fire

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Tuesday February 21, 2006 @10:34PM from the ip-fud-on-the-rise dept.

gokulpod writes to tell us the Financial Express is reporting that Microsoft is heating up the IP battle once again with warnings about IP indemnifications issues. From the article: "Analysts believe that the core issue at stake is whether open source software increases litigation risks. Open source advocates are quick to point out the IP litigation faced by Microsoft itself. Ubuntu founder and leader Mark Shuttleworth says, 'Linux is growing fast and whenever there is a new way of doing things, people will raise all kind of issues.'"

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Read the fine print. Microsoft is screwing you. by NZheretic · 2006-02-21 22:53 · Score: 5, Informative

Microsoft are ONLY offering patent protection under very limited conditions.
Microsoft provide protection only for code they write. If the code in patented is part of what you provide or from a third party, even down to the enterprise glue code, Microsoft is not liable, even if it is based on calling Microsoft's API ( see the Timeline case ). You have to agree to let Microsoft take over your legal defence and if Microsoft prejudge that you are at all at fault then you have to agree to pay ALL damages and costs.