If the good guy gets the girl, it's rated PG; if the bad guy gets the girl, it's rated R; and if everybody gets the girl, it's rated X - Kirk Douglas
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Microsoft inks a Linux patent deal with Casio
SOFTWARE PATENT BULLY Microsoft has signed a patent licensing agreement with Casio over the use of Linux.
Microsoft's patent programme has been ensnaring firms that ship devices with Linux for years and Casio is the latest to sign up, avoiding possible litigation by Microsoft. According to Microsoft, the deal signed with Casio is a "broad, multiyear patent cross-licensing agreement" that will cover devices that ship with Linux.
Casio has acknowledged that it is paying Microsoft for the privilege of using Linux, though Microsoft was quick to say that Casio uses Microsoft software for some of its products too. Neither company revealed how much money will change hands.
Horacio Gutierrez, corporate VP and deputy general counsel of the Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft said of the agreement, "We're pleased to reach an agreement and to see continued recognition of the value of our patent portfolio, particularly as it relates to operating systems."
Microsoft has signed many Linux licensing agreements, claiming it provides its customers with protection, presumably from itself. Since many companies use both Microsoft products and Linux it is likely that they are playing ball to avoid the aggravation and high legal costs rather than test Microsoft's claims in court.
Recently Microsoft has also been flogging Android licenses to a number of handset makers, including HTC. The firm has claimed repeatedly that Android is not free and paying licence fees protects users against potential legal disputes.
Microsoft's argument, although sounding like a legal protection racket, seems to be working however, as companies apparently prefer to pay up rather than risk going to court. µ
Tags: Microsoft
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Except “intellectual property” is not property. In fact, it conflicts with property rights, i.e . it is theft.
Nobody spends “billions” on R&D, certainly not Microsoft, and certainly not on its FAT patent. You can spend billions bringing a product to market, but patents were never designed to protect that. How would you feel if, having spent billions bringing a product to market, some snot-nosed punk comes along, waving a patent, and tries to claim a percentage off every product that you ship?
If a company spends billions on R & D, it can not let others simply copy it.
Oracle is suing Google for infringing on Java patents and demanding billions of dollars. What do you make of that ?
Apple is also behind Samsung.
another example that broken US patent system is beyond repairs. the only hope is that EU will step in and tell parasites from MS to find other source of revenue.
This is just expected behaviour from microsoft; the real news here (for me) is that casio is using linux enough for microsoft to bother. What products are they using it in? Can i have linux in my watch, please?
These "patent" deals always seem to be covered by stringent nondisclosure agreements and Microsoft never answers the obvious questions, such as "which patents does Linux violate?" or "if you have patents on some of the functionality in Linux, why do your own products lag so far behind in both features and stability?"
Small companies without the piles of spare cash to pay lawyers (that includes billion dollar and hundred million dollar companies as do they have a hundred million or several tens of millions for litigation) will always sign up to this "legal protection racket". Through your website I have followed the software patent stories with disdain. It seems to me that copyright should be sufficient and patents should be banned but lawyers will argue this to death. G$$GLE, GNU Micro$lop has you in their sites. You will be pwned.