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Torvalds Says Microsoft is Bluffing on Patents

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the summon-the-patent-attorneys-from-their-crypts dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft's aggressive defense of its intellectual property, which includes claims that Linux violates a number of its patents, is nothing more than "a marketing thing," according to Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel. "They have been sued for patents by other people, but I don't think they've — not that I've gone through any huge amount of law cases — but I don't think they've generally used patents as a weapon," Torvalds said. "But they're perfectly happy to use anything at all as fear, uncertainty and doubt in the marketplace, and patents is just one thing where they say, 'Hey, isn't this convenient? We can use this as a PR force.'""

2 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Same stuff, different day. by jskline · · Score: 0, Troll

    I still will NEVER EVER buy a Zune, I've almost completely exited from Office now in favor of Open Office, and XP is all that is left and won't be upgraded. Will NOT go Vista;... EVER.

    Two laptops. One legacy XP Pro, and the other Ubuntu with all my code development stuff and electronics software on it.

    Hay; Ballmer!... Shut your fart mouth ass up. Unless you got it you can't bring it. If you got it, bring it. Otherwise; shut the hell up and go back into your hole you call an office.

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  2. In other news... by HairyNevus · · Score: 0, Troll

    Linus uses speculations against Microsoft as PR for his own damn self, and slashdot gobbles it all up. Also, Microsoft just appointed Torvalds as "guy-who-would-totally-know-about-our-patents". True story.

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    You were critically hit for no damage. The bruise will look nice, and maybe the scars will make good party talk.