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openSUSE Hobbled By Microsoft Patents

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the or-at-least-disfigured dept.

kripkenstein writes "openSUSE 10.2 no longer enables ClearType (which would improve the appearance of fonts). The reason given on the openSUSE mailing list for not enabling it is, 'this feature is covered by several Microsoft patents and should not be activated in any default build of the library.' As reported on and discussed, this matter may be connected to the Microsoft-Novell deal. If so, Novell should have received a license for the Microsoft patents, assuming the deal covered all relevant patents. Does the license therefore extend only to SUSE, but not openSUSE?"

8 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Novell is the Judas Goat. by Woy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Novel became the Mr. Hands of the Linux world.

    --
    "If God created us in his own image we have more than reciprocated." - Voltaire
  2. Re:It's only the filtering by b0z0n3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, Microsoft has patented blurring text?

    I don't want to pay M$ everytime I have a couple of beers....

    --
    (write-line *coolsig*)
  3. Note to Ron Hovsepian by bl8n8r · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ron, If you want to know how similar arrangements have panned out, you may be interested in viewing the graphic video: Boa Constrictor Eats Bird Alive

    --
    boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
  4. Re:anti-aliasing makes me need glasses by mashade · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who's Zed?

    Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.

    [long live zee]

    --
    Technology tips and tricks.
  5. Re:Now it is clear by TangoCharlie · · Score: 2, Funny

    Your off-the-cuff remark is more true than you think. Don't forget that SCO (that is Caldera)
    got the unix rights from Novell. The whole SCO vs Novell issue will result in Novell getting
    those rights back. The result? A linux company "owning" unix. We've been here before!! Novell
    OpenSCO here we come....

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    return 0; }
  6. Those Patents should expire soon (already have? ) by geohump · · Score: 2, Funny

    When were the cleartype patents filed? Patents only last 17 years.

  7. Nice Headline! by davevr · · Score: 2, Funny

    openSUSE hobbled by patents??

    yeah, right, and my access to your wallet is hobbled by those pesky anti-mugging laws.. geez.

  8. Re:It is about precedents by twistedcubic · · Score: 5, Funny


    In my opinion, open/free Linux is still 5-10 years behind Windows and OSX in terms of desktop functionality ...

    Yeah, a friend of mine has a Windows 95 machine, and I tried it out recently. Man, I was BLOWN AWAY. I've been wasting productivity on my Gentoo and Ubuntu machines, when all this time Windows 95 just makes it much easier. I mean, it looks and functions better, and everything just works. My friend showed me how to take all my LaTeX files (100 or so) for my book, with all the revision history in Git, and convert it all to Microsoft Word. Wow! Productivity SQUARED! After watching my reaction, my firend slapped me on the head (really hard) and exclaimed, "It's the APPS, stupid!"