Microsoft Details FOSS Patent Breaches

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 15, 2007 @02:41AM from the just-a-little-bit-dangerous dept.

CptRevelation writes "Microsoft has released more detailed information on the patents supposedly in breach by the open-source community. Despite their accusations of infringement, they state they would rather do licensing deals instead of any legal action. 'Open-source programs step on 235 Microsoft patents, the company said. Free Linux software violates 42 patents. Graphical user interfaces, the way menus and windows look on the screen, breach 65. E-mail programs step on 15, and other programs touch 68 other patents, the company said. The patent figures were first reported by Fortune magazine. Microsoft also said Open Office, an open-source program supported in part by Sun Microsystems Inc., infringes on 45 patents. Sun declined to comment on the allegation.'"

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Please... by alexandreracine · 2007-05-15 02:45 · Score: 0, Offtopic

... someone add the FUD tag!

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Changes to software, movies and music . . . by DodgeRules · 2007-05-15 03:10 · Score: 0, Offtopic

IF this passes, then the software, music and movie industry should be required to remove ALL DRM and Copy Protection from their products including but not limited to MS Vista, MS Office, DVDs, Music, etc and make it a FEDERAL CRIME to annoy American customers with such DRM and Copy Protection.