Microsoft versus TomTom: Linux in the middle?

[minus-sign]

Another thing I picked up while surfing around for that SCO info. Seems TomTom is in the frying pan over some intellectual property patents from M$.

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/does_microsofts_1.html;jsessionid=FO1WE5AREW1F4QSN DLPSKH0CJUNN2JVN

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/the_beat_of_the.html

http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=3650

First two are webblogs from IW about general climate right now regarding the case; zdnet posts some clarification on whats going on and this one (http://www.linux-foundation.org/weblogs/jzemlin/2009/02/26/note-on-microsoft-tomtom-suit-calm-down-hope-for-the-best-plan-for-the-worst/) is the blog from Zelmin's urging FOSS to keep a level head.

I remember Tom Tom from the 2004 row.

[minus-sign]

What people are missing about this is the either/or choice that Microsoft is giving Tom Tom.

It isn’t a case of cross-license and everything is ok. If Tom Tom or any other company cross licenses patents then by section 7 of GPLv2 (for the Linux kernel) they lose the rights to redistribute the kernel *at all*.

Microsoft has been going around and doing these patent cross licensing deals with companies under NDA’s so they never come to light for *years*."-" says *see link for full quote*
Jason Perlow (http://blogs.zdnet.com/perlow/?p=9594) wrote up a pretty good read concerning where this could be heading, and whats been going on behind closed doors.

I don't think it'll come down to a new "burn all GIFs!" campaign, but what he says about a new opensource file format gets my head nodding.

[jlreich]

The thing about this kind of stuff that MS and others seem to miss is that in the end you alienate others from using your intellectual property and they come out with a free alternative and yours falls by the wayside and you end up screwing yourself.

And as in the case with Unisys you end up alienating yourself in the industry and no one wants to work with you anymore. ;)

Yes MS is so big it they can get away this kind of stuff and getting labeled as the big evil company, but only for so long. Eventually all corrupt empires fall.

[minus-sign]

*Groan*SFLC Seeks Patent Attorney dedicated to Software Freedom (http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2009/mar/04/patent-attorney-wanted-software-freedom/). Coincidence? I think not...

[minus-sign]

No hard hitting news on a Sunday but I did find an old OpEd (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/opinion/09lee.html?ex=1339041600&en=a2f3d8f1f3cfcb61&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss) with a surprising proponent against software pantenting: a then little-known up-and-comer by the name of Bill Gates.

Its a good read, even a year later. I think it kinda puts much of the current mess into perspective.

[PrntRhd]

Update:
TomTom has filed a counter suit against Microsoft for violating three TomTom patents:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/tomtom-sues-microsoft-back-for-patent-infringement.ars

[PrntRhd]

Update:
TomTom and Microsoft has settled:
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/03/microsoft-and-tomtom-settle-patent-dispute.ars
That possibility has been averted—for now—by the settlement agreement. In an announcement Monday, Microsoft and TomTom contend that the terms of the settlement fully conform with TomTom's obligations under the GPL, the license under which Linux is distributed. TomTom has paid to license Microsoft's patents, including those covering FAT.

TomTom will, however, remove the functionality that is covered under the FAT patents. This will guarantee that the code in TomTom's Linux kernel can continue to be broadly redistributed downstream without patent encumbrances. This aspect of the agreement, along with specificity about which patents are infringed, are major factors that differentiate this agreement from Microsoft's controversial deal with Novell.