Monday rolls around and the first thing I have to deal with is more of Microsoft’s crap. The software giant wants open-source software users to fork over money in the form of royalties. Why? Because Microsoft owns 235 patents that are apparently being infringed upon. From the Linux kernel to KDE and GNOME interfaces, it seems almost everyone has infringed on some kind of patent. Open Office, e-mail clients, and plenty of other applications out there are being targeted as well.
Microsoft is gearing up for a big legal battle over the infringement and it doesn’t look pretty. Companies that already deal with Microsoft regarding Linux will be left out of the legal battle. Novell, Samsung, and Dell will all be able to sit back and not have charges brought against them. We’ll keep an eye on this to see how it goes. The last thing anyone wants is Microsoft taking everything away from us.
Microsoft demands royalties for open-source software [Yahoo! News]