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Groklaw Guts the Novell/Microsoft Deal
walterbyrd writes "Pamala Jones, at groklaw, totally rips apart the Novell/Deal patent protection deal. From the article: 'Justin Steinman reveals that to market their SUSE Linux Enterprise Server against Red Hat they ask, "Do you want the Linux that works with Windows? Or the one that doesn't?" It's just appalling. Let me ask you developers who are kernel guys a question: When you contributed code to the kernel, was it your intent that it be used against Red Hat? How about the rest of you developers? Is that all right with you, that your code is being marketed by Novell like that? I also have questions about antitrust issues, with Microsoft being Novell's partner in such deals and sales pitches. Nothing speaks louder about Microsoft's true determination never to be actually interoperable than this conference.'"
Seriously, anyone that didn't see that one coming must have been asleep for a few years. SSDD for MS/Novell.
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
Contrary to the dreams of minority evangelists, the GPL outside of academia has only really been effective in the way Linus has used it - as an engineering choice, not a stamp of socialism. If you are contributing code under the GPL, then you are granting anyone the right to use that code however they please in accordance with the GPL - and if that means competing against your company, so be it. I'd be rather more surprised if a competitor didn't use your GPL code to gain a competitive advantage, if they could do so.
Stallman needs to either come out and say "I dislike capitalism" (and I'm not making a moral judgement on that statement) then incorporate an anti-capitalism clause in his license, or he needs to accept that firms work with the license because it is profitable for them. By extension, the various pro-GPL lawyers can either come out and declare their dislike for capitalism (in which case, they should be a lot more careful about where they practice and who they teach) or stick to worrying about the legal implications of the GPL rather than warm fuzzy feelings that some people associate with it that simply don't exist.
This is just the attitude that will keep Linux out of the main stream. Instead of praising the one organization that is actually gaining market share for a Linux OS, The /. community is branding them unworthy of geekdom. Reminds me of the novices asking for Linux advice being ridiculed and call noobs by the establishment.
Seriously, Im glad this discussion is on slashdot, because you sure as hell arent allowed a dissenting opinion on Groklaw. Any dissent immediately results in a post deletion by Pamela Jones.
"free software; open source; freedom to choose; freedom to use software anyway you want to"
"As long as you only choose my way of thinking! If you are not thinking the same way I am you are against freedom!"
I'll give you whining Microsoft bashers credit for so perfectly following the US administrations ability to rename and make up things so that it fits your agenda. Way to fight FUD with better FUD!
Hypocrites.
"They've been using Windows on their desktop for quite a while now, mostly due to both my predecessors being totally incompetent and windows being the status-quo."
Sure. I'll bet all the people who disagree with you are incompetent.