Comments on: Patent Protection Lovefest, Update 1

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 03:14:41 +0000

Thanks for the article Eric! Helped me re-adjust my thinking…

By: Michael Young

Michael Young — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:28:55 +0000

When the Mono project adopts GPL V3, we will truly know there is nothing to worry about.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:12:03 +0000

The Novell deal is meaningless. Overall, Microsoft has given money to Novell for the deal, not the other way around. Wouldn’t you take several hundred million dollars and a license to Microsoft’s patents? I sure would. That kind of deal doesn’t alter the legal status of Mono one iota.

Face it: anybody can sue you. Given that projects like Mono have been around for many years and hardly anything has ever come out of saber rattling like this, I think there is no cause to be worried.

By: FireRabbit

FireRabbit — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 21:29:26 +0000

Winfried: Switching away from mono for any reason other than liking a different technology more just means you’re letting them win. Will you stop using Linux now because Microsoft is making the same claims against it? I absolutely agree that Novell should have fought this out, but by making a statement that Microsoft’s FUD campaign is effective, you’re not helping anyone. There are plenty of people in the Mono community who are very upset about all this, but we’re going to stick around and fight.

A: Perhaps I suck at this whole ‘sarcasm’ thing…

By: A

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 15:14:21 +0000

Thank you Novell!

Why? Novell is legitimizing MIcrosoft’s cliams that Linux users are “stealing” their patents and are therefore criminals. SUSE users are still criminals in M$’s mind, the only difference is they have paid the fines.

By: Winfried Maus

Winfried Maus — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:59:42 +0000

“Somehow, ‘I told you so’ just doesn’t quite say it.”
- Will Smith in “I, Robot”

Honestly, does this statement from Steve Ballmer surprise anybody, especially now that he has found a company (Novell) that was stupid enough to make a patent-deal with Microsoft?

I also never trusted Novell, for similar reasons as why I do not trust Microsoft. They are not really an open source company, as their deal with Microsoft proves.

For me, the latest events have pushed me over the edge and I won’t use Mono anymore. C# is a poisoned fruit.

Sun might have its own agenda why they are open sourcing the Java platform and language, but they are opening it the way it should be done, and their users won’t ever have to worry about anything, not now and not in the future.

With Mono, we still have to live with a legal threat, either because we are not a Novell customer or because in five years from now Microsoft refuses to renew that agreement.

Novell should have fought this out instead of providing them with ammunition by signing the patent agreement.

Farewell, Novell. Farewell, Mono.