Initially it would be easy to scoff Steve 'Monkey Boy' Ballmer's comment, the leader of the biggest software company in the world, as FUD when he
warned that
Linux violates more than 228 patents, and that
someday, for all countries that are entering the WTO (World Trade Organization), somebody will come and look for money owing to the rights for that intellectual propert. Sounds like a FUD. I mean he's The Ballmer. The Ballmer. OMG. After all, The Ballmer recently said that
iPod users are thieves.
But anyways, Microsoft is denying that Ballmer's comments were meant to be warnings. As usual, they claimed that the press had taken his comments out of context. So they provides the
transcript to prove that Monkey Boy ain't giving any threats.
But regardless, what exactly was The Ballmer saying? Why, software patents of course. Linus
has said that the
non-technical issues such as software patents is the biggest threat to Linux, and Open Source. Bruce Perens also said that
software patents block free software development by allowing
only the biggest companies to develop software, while it will be illegals for others to do so. Perens, Linus and Alan Cox (he works for Red Hat just so you know) oppose the EU software patents directive, saying that the directive
is worded in such a way that virtually any software or electronic business process could be patented, a situation that already exists in the US. So far,
Poland has voted against the European software patent directive.
But anyways, let's get back to what The Ballmer said. In actual fact,
Linux potentially infringes 283 patents, including 27 held by Microsoft but none that have been validated by court judgments. Of the 283 patents, 98 are owned by Linux-friendly companies, including 60 from IBM, 20 from Hewlett-Packard and 11 from Intel (
news). These
findings were from OSRM (Open Source Risk Management), a company that specializes in selling insurance and proctection to companies using Open Source software. So, basically, the threats are real. And if software patents are to be realized, Linux and Open Source will suffer. And so does the programmers.
So what gives? Software patent is a scary thing, no doubt. I mean, I can if I want to patent a while loop, or undef, or the use Module::ModuleWhatever. Well, Larry can actually. M$ is using this as part of their plan for global software domination. Fortunately though, not many countries have software patent laws, and the
European Union software patent directive has been opposed by
many. If software patents are accepted - come on - literally whatever that you do as a programmer will be illegal! You'll be charged in court, fined or put in jail, and after your release, you'll ended up in one of the many
pasar malams begging for food, money and shelter. Not cool at all.
Linux, and all Open Source developers of course, are more than willing to resolve the patents and IP rights issues with the multinationals. After all, the multinationals are Linux-friendly.
And, as to The Ballmer's threat - well, FUD u too.
