Robert Pogson

Well, technically, it’s not extortion if you threaten to sue someone and then demand payment to prevent suit, but it should be when the grounds for suit are baseless. Software patents are vapourware and should dissipate if the SCOTUS ever rules on them.

We read today that Amazon and M$ have signed a cross-licensing deal and Amazon has paid money to M$ for use of stuff in Kindle etc., including GNU/Linux.

• NDA
• no specifics on the patents in question

Typical. If you want to spread FUD, this will do. We also have no word on how many businesses have told M$ where to go. So far they have only sued TomTom. United we stand. Divided we fall. That’s the game. If the world does not stand up to bullies they become more aggressive and dangerous. Seeking to diversify their cash cow, the patent portfolio will be milked repeatedly. I notice this does not rate an SEC filing so it is not huge but its FUD value may be much higher.

The worst possible outcome is the extension of the M$ tax to GNU/Linux. That will not happen. Software patents are on their way out. Copyright FUD did not work for SCOG, M$’s stooge. Patent FUD will not work for M$. Even if they somehow play the game out for years as SCOG has done, patents expire in much shorter time than copyrights. The best M$ can hope to do it use this FUD to retain control of the US market where software patents are tolerated. Most of the rest of the world gives them no play.