Source

Microsoft claims that Linux, the free operating system, is violating over 200 of their patents. This is the silliest thing. If Microsoft wins, Linux may no longer exist. Open-source software as we know it will no longer exist. This is the silliest thing i have ever seen Microsoft try to do—i can't stress this enough. I believe in open-source. Some people, even though there may be an open-source alternative, will still choose to buy commercial software, so there shouldn't be a problem. As far as i'm concerned, Microsoft is just money hungry. I, for one, don't see Windows winning this; there are many open-source supporters out there that i'm sure will support Linux. Microsoft is already a huge company, but i guess the rich just wanna get richer...

That's a bit ridiculous... It's open source, so it really wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft grabbed the code and used some of it on their own products and then 'patented' it, calling it their own. It's already basically a monopoly out there with that company, and what does the world's richest (or still very close to it!) man really need by trying to get even more money hungry by getting rid of the open source world. Yes, it seems that once again, the rich get richer and the people out there just trying to do something real without trying to dip into everyone's pockets will get in trouble for it.

I hope that the case gets thrown out before it even goes through any court proceedings. Yes, I run Microsoft on my own machines... but I've run Linux too and I support the idea of open source. At least it offers the option for people to pick something other than Microsoft. Yes, lets take away the freedom of choice. Great idea. Thanks Microsoft.

Man that is huge news and to think I was goign to try my hand into partition and install a version of linux on a computer I guess I have to wait. But what really got this really going was these two paragraphs:



But the Big question is if it happens, how many companies and people will get bankrupt out of this and how would that affect our economy as well? Since many web hosting companies use both windows and apache for it's primary servers. OF course it's bad enough Microsoft is like the the number 1 tech business and it's founder the richest person in the world, they want control of all the software thats out there as well and knowing Microsoft they are going to go way back in the 1990's when linux first came out and nail everyone and that could be in the billions if this does go through. Of course this huge case could take years or even decades as they go through everyone of those patent and see if Microsoft holds those tights, but Microsoft could be pulling a scare tatic and make everyone settle out of court and thus closing small companies down and what not. This should be a very interestin case and the whole tech world will be watching this as it unfolds.

This is the stupidest thing I've heard in all day long.

And I even agree with midnightvamp, I run Microsoft on this PC, but the thing is I'm just too lazy to install Ubuntu, I own the DVD!

I don't think there is any chance of Microsoft winning this!

I doubt microsoft will win but even if they do I doubt it will end open source software. I hope not anyway imagine if they did win and then said everyone was using their patent when they used a programming language aaah I doubt it though,and I wanted to put Linux on my old computer too,I never used it though,I am going to check it out,I'm sure even if microsoft would win people could still use the source code to change and update Linux and I doubt it would ever become impossible to get.

Didn't they pull this type of stunt before? I might be thinking of another "battle" but I could have sworn that Microsoft already made this claim; perhaps they took this long to "acquire their evidence".

Microsoft will lose. There is no way that they can uphold 235 copywright infringments on an opensource project. I believe in copywright programs, but algorithms/function cannot be copywrighted because they can be rewritten; however, it would be very hard to accuratly rewrite a game/operating system. I use microsoft machines, but only because I'm too lazy to find a free linux that smoothly runs windows applications/games. I full heartedly support linux and my view has now been lowered even more by this low move by microsoft.

This is a very sad thing to hear, but I doubt Microsoft will win. Even if they do win, there's programmers like me that will just develop something in better . One of my goals for myself is to have a working operating system before the end of high school, that is written from scratch.

I too use Windows, but I have Linux on a livecd. Knoppix rules. I find that its better for web development, because it has KWrite, which is the best text editor ever.