Microsoft tries evading new GPL grasp

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This "Legal Framework" May Have Consequences for MS

1) Making it prohibitive to have a mixed environment (Linux with MS Sharepoint, using your example) could have the opposite effect than intended. It could prompt companies to pull an "Ernie Ball" (see "Rockin' On Without Microsoft" at http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html for the gory details) and dump Microsoft completely. Ernie Ball (a major guitar string manufacturing company) did it in 2003 when things weren't as polished and there weren't as many options as there are today. Individuals, companies, organizations and entire governments around the world are dumping Microsoft and going FOSS. So why not?

2) The European Commission. Need I say more?

3) Microsoft may be able to subjugate American business due to its paid-off/lobbied accomplices in government and the present legal status of software patents (which got considerably weaker just a few months ago in the KSR decision), but the world is a lot bigger than just the U.S. To a lot of countries, Microsoft is just becoming an uglier (ugliest?) "Ugly American". FOSS will do just fine even if it's completely hamstrung in the U.S..

4) If MS makes things too inconvenient for American companies, those American companies may just start pushing on the U.S. Government themselves. And MS knows that.

I'm not too worried about MS' "legal framework" or the future of FOSS uptake. BTW, just so there's no confusion, I'm an American.

Posted by: dumptux   Posted on: 07/08/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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