New GPL clause to flip Microsoft-Novell deal on its head?

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you may not have noticed ...: Novell does not speak for Linux or Open Source any more than M$ does, and neither company can evade provisions of the GPL.

Novell has certainly bought something, and M$ has certainly bought something, but it appears neither has bought anything like what they think they did. They are married at the hip but the bridal night seems unlikely to go as planned for either party.

Unless Novell can provide specific Linux code confirming SCO's rambling allegations, there will be no joy in Mudville. End of story. And if they could provide it, so could anyone else. It's freely available for scrutiny by anyone.

Since M$ hasn't innovated anything but FUD in its entire history, Ballmers blustering claim of alleged violation of copyright appears even more ephemeral. The man is a clown.

And even if some "violating" code were evidenced, it can quickly be replaced with something else that is not. If that were a real threat, we'd have seen the evidence by now, since M$ would have long since throttled Linux in the cradle if it had any actual means to do so.

We are witnessing the end-game for M$, and as they struggle to throw their weight around and threaten to destroy their competitors with lawsuits, their customers are also presented all the evidence they need to understand they are threatened no less by the same tactics if the beast gets hungry. The more bellicose and rabid Ballmer gets, the more he demonstrates to actual and potential customers that his company is (as it has always been) essentially malevolent. Offered any reasonable alternative, why would they want to play for keeps with the biggest bully on the block?

The real future "action" markets will not be in the US, Canada, and Old Europe. The major growth will be in Asia and S. America. M$ is loosing the battle outside its traditional (and fully saturated) home turf and well knows it. They are facing the increasingly grim and certain prospect of being marginalized where the future big bucks will be spent. They will assuredly fight tooth and toenail to slow down the trend, but how do you slow down billions of Chinese and Indians who suddenly want to compute at the lowest possible cost and have no illusions about M$ 'stuff'.

It is important to remember that M$ has outrun Apple not because it provided better software or nicer features, but because it was CHEAPER in spite of its flaws.

As the (correct) impression grows that M$ products are NO BETTER THAN others available at far less TCO, they will loose market share steadily. If they remain belligerent about "defending" their vaguely claimed intellectual property rights, the more dynamic markets which have no loyalty to them will simply retreat and leave them with what they've got: solid dominance only in old, tired economies which are as likely to contract as to grow in future years (in real terms).

It's over, and the fat lady is waiting in the wings. As soon as M$ quits hogging the limelight in a failing effort to keep the curtain from dropping on their heads, the market is going to give them the hook and the M$ juggernaut will have to content itself with mostly up-selling to those customers its already got. And some of those will jump ship when they see the coast is clear.

Dinosaurs may be hard to kill, but they are mortal -- and eventually feed the worms.; Posted by: code_flogger Posted on: 11/22/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use