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OpenSUSE Opens Up to Questions About the Microsoft Deal

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the bad-press-machine dept.

NewsForge is reporting on the recent IRC meeting that the OpenSUSE team held to answer a few questions about the controversial deal between Novell and Microsoft. The most prominent questions are highlighted and the complete IRC log is available from the article while the questions that didn't make the discussion will be posted on the OpenSUSE wiki.

7 of 288 comments (clear)

  1. What is this? by khasim · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Nov 27 11:20:23 Novell claims to have not acknowledged any patent infringements
    Nov 27 11:20:23 by Linux. But Novell is now paying a tax to Microsoft on the
    Nov 27 11:20:23 Linux distributions it ships. What, exactly, is Novell paying
    Nov 27 11:20:23 for?

    Nov 27 11:21:05 We're paying for the promise that Microsoft made to our customers not to sue them

    Nov 27 11:21:43 Not to sue them for *what*? For problems you don't acknowledge exist?

    Nov 27 11:21:57 Well, we put together an agreement with MS to make Linux and Windows work better together
    Nov 27 11:22:05 Now, as everyone knows, MS has spent the last 10 years saying negative things about Linux
    Nov 27 11:22:11 including implying that there are IP issues in Linux
    Nov 27 11:22:30 It didn't make sense for us to do a partnersihp with MS on interoperability issues and still have this patent cloud hanging around for our customers
    Nov 27 11:22:39 and so MS asked us to put together a patent agreement as well.
    Nov 27 11:23:00 And so, we promise MS's customers that we won't sue them and they promise the same thing to our customres
    Nov 27 11:23:08 They pay us for our promise and we pay them for their promise
    Nov 27 11:23:24 It doesn't matter if the allegations from MSFT are true or not

    Microsoft asked Novell to "put together a patent agreement" so Novell could market that protection to their customers ... at a cost of $40 million from Novell.

    Does Novell often pay millions of dollars for "protection" for its customers when it does not believe that the threat has any substance?

    Microsoft is the one making the threats.
    Novell is paying Microsoft to NOT follow through on threats that Microsoft has yet to substantiate.
    Not to mention the patent battle that could erupt should Microsoft ever file a patent claim against anyone using Linux.

    WTF?
    1. Re:What is this? by Quantam · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Novell is paying for their customers' peace of mind. Regardless of what Novell says (or what may be true), MS says that Linux violates MS' IP, implying that MS might sue Linux coders and/or users. That makes Novell's users nervous. They want guarantees that either MS' claims are false, or MS will not sue them, even if they are true. This contract provides that guarantee.

      While that does vaguely resemble mafia "protection" payments (though not as closely as many Slashdotters seem to believe), I really don't see why people are having such a hard time wrapping their heads around the reason for this deal.

      This is also reminiscent of what was going on in the US during the cold war - everyone building bomb shelters, stockpiling food, etc. The reality was that none of this would have been able to keep anybody alive, had nuclear war broken out. But the fact that people thought it would put their minds at ease, and that made all the difference in the cold war.

      --
      You have tried to support your argument with faulty reasoning! Go directly to jail; do not pass Go, do not collect $200!
    2. Re:What is this? by ForumTroll · · Score: 5, Insightful

      After reading the IRC logs, what bothers me the most is that Novell doesn't even seem to consider why Microsoft is interested in this deal. They only talk about how they will work on interoperability and that Microsoft is "acknowledging" Linux. Microsoft has never been worried about getting sued by Novell over patent infringement, so what exactly do they think Microsoft's motives are? If Microsoft simply wants better integration with Linux, they have all the means to do so without pursuing any patent deals.

      It seems that Microsoft's true motive was shown only a few days after the deal when Ballmer continued to throw FUD about patent issues regarding Linux. Only now, he can claim that Novell has acknowledged the patent issues in an effort to make the claims appear to be more legitimate.

      --
      "A Lisp programmer knows the value of everything, but the cost of nothing." - Alan Perlis
    3. Re:What is this? by Bruce+Perens · · Score: 5, Insightful
      While that does vaguely resemble mafia "protection" payments ... I really don't see why people are having such a hard time wrapping their heads around the reason for this deal.

      Well, I think most people aren't having problems "wrapping their heads around the deal". They see it as unethical. This is very different from not being able to understand it.

      Bruce

      --
      Bruce Perens.
  2. Another Take by Jack+Action · · Score: 5, Insightful

    On the other hand, Novell may have done Free Software a great service.

    All those who lambasted RMS for the explicitness of GPLv3 may now have to reconsider their opposition. This includes organizations like Red Hat and OSDL, who called the FSF approach "extremist."

    Who's the extremist now?

  3. Look at what Microsoft is paying for. by khasim · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The balance of payments are by far in Novell's favor from what I've seen. I don't remember the exact numbers but Microsoft is paying far more than Novell is paying them for the patent agreement.

    Yes, that is correct.

    Microsoft is paying hundreds of millions of dollars for SuSE support licenses. Far more than Novell is paying Microsoft.

    Now, when was the last time anyone tried to buy SuSE from Microsoft? Has anyone here tried to? No?

    Okay, when was the last time anyone called Microsoft's tech support about a SuSE issue? Has anyone here tried that? No?

    Well, it seems that Microsoft paid a LOT of money for licenses that it will probably never use and didn't seem to need in the past. You might want to look up the history of the SCO lawsuit and see how Microsoft also paid for SCO licenses that Microsoft will probably never use and didn't seem to need prior to that.

    So, it looks like Microsoft paid for Novell's signature on that "patent agreement". Novell couldn't say "no" to that big of an instant payoff.

    Now, go back and read about Microsoft's other "partners" and how Microsoft treated them. There isn't any reason to believe that Microsoft is suddenly going to play nice and fair with Linux (or Novell). Microsoft's who business model is based upon their monopolistic control of the desktop.
  4. My Rant. by bmo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    " I think people have overreacted to this deal
      I guess because it involves the words "Microsoft" and "patents" "

    BECAUSE, NAT, WE'VE GOT A FUCKING LAWSUIT THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER THREE FUCKING YEARS ASSERTING THAT THERE IS FUCKING INFRINGING IP IN LINUX AND IT HAS BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN VACUOUS STATEMENTS BACKED UP BY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SINCE FUCKING 2003! AND NOW YOU IDIOTS SIGNED A FUCKING CONTRACT THAT IS BEING SPUN BY MICROSOFT THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH INFRINGING IP IN LINUX! WELL, FUCK YOU! WHERE THE FUCK HAS NOVELL BEEN FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS? I FUCKING SWEAR THAT HOVESEPIAN CAN FUCKING MESS UP MAKING A FUCKING PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH!

    I hope that's plain enough.

    Goddamn, they _still_ do not get it.

    --
    BMO