● 07.16.09

●● Boycott Melco

Posted in Deals, GNU/Linux, Kernel, Microsoft, Patents at 2:54 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Microsoft again claims to be ‘owning’ Linux and Melco says “yes”

Microsoft’s patent racket has just hit another company, which sold out to Microsoft without a fight, just like Novell. It pays Microsoft for Linux products. From Reuters:

Microsoft Corp. and Melco Holdings Inc., parent company of Buffalo Inc. and Buffalo Group (Melco Group), announced that they have entered into an agreement that will provide Melco Group’s customers with patent coverage for their use of technologies running Linux and other related open source software. Specifically, the patent covenants apply to Buffalo-branded Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, which run Linux, and Buffalo-branded routers, which also run Linux. Although the contents of the agreement have not been disclosed, the parties indicate that the only financial consideration in this agreement is royalties paid by Melco Group to Microsoft.

This is about Microsoft being anti-competitive (see ECIS complaint [PDF] and full text), this time using software patents. It is safe to guess that Microsoft did not even name any patents. This is a form of extortion, so Microsoft has not changed one bit. █

“Do you feel like you’re screwing a porcupine and you’re one prick against thousands?” the OSCON audience member asked Ramji. Ramji politely replied: “It takes time to change and I knew that I’d be unpopular when I took this job…”

–Microsoft: Not worried about open source patents

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