Sun to Defend Ubuntu against MS patent bully boys.

[jrusso2]

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070522050029860


You have to take a look at Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz's blog today. He has pledged the company will use its patents to defend Red Hat and Ubuntu. That's the headline, and I'm really happy to know that Sun's very extensive patent portfolio is available, just in case it is ever needed. You never know these days. And yes, I take that as a message in a bottle to Microsoft. But he says it in such an interesting and creative way, I think you'll be glad if you go and read the entire entry.

[juxtaposed]

I now have respect for Sun :)

I love how we have people like them on our side. I think IBM and Novell both have massive ammounts of patents to use against microsoft if they ever attacked first.

Arms race anyone? :D

[Andrewie]

Novell, Red Hat, and now IBM are going to protect us. I think its more then safe to use Linux, even if Microsoft starts trolling

[justin whitaker]

Fantastic. I respected Sun before, but I have more respect for them now. Now we have some real backing if the lawyers come calling, and one more reason why Microsoft does not want to open up the IP war. I wonder how many of Sun's patents Microsoft violates.....

[sloggerkhan]

I hope there's an IP war so the Supreme Court can finally rule software patents illegal.

[maniacmusician]

Good things happen

[enopepsoo]

I hope there's an IP war so the Supreme Court can finally rule software patents illegal.
fat chance! :P The odds of that happening are quite low.

[forrestcupp]

Did you guys actually read the blog? Yes he is kind of bashing MS for their attitude with patents, but the part about him defending Ubuntu and Red Hat was only an ambiguous partial sentence out of the entire long blog. It's not really like he wrote a big blog about how he is forever covenanting with Ubuntu and will come to our aid anytime we need a Superman.

The short comment he made really is encouraging, though.

[Tundro Walker]

I hope there's an IP war so the Supreme Court can finally rule software patents illegal.

...then we can move on to genetic patents...

[macogw]

I wonder how many of Sun's patents Microsoft violates.....

Who remembers Microsoft Java?

[blastus]

Tux walks tall and proud in a business suit and has lots of bodyguards :)

[tehbeermang]

...then we can move on to genetic patents... :veering off-topic:

That is a goal of the Human Genome Project, produce evidence of "prior art" to prevent genetic patents in the USA.

[BDNiner]

I feel ms crap is grabbing at straws. They are trying scare tactics because they know that if they try and litigate and it makes it up to the supreme court then software patents might be found to be illegal. I mean who ever heard of patenting a mathematical formula.

[sloggerkhan]

In fact, I saw on zdnet today that they have said they will not sue of linux patents.

[Sayers]

This is disgusting. Those money greedy pigs. I hope they go to court and loose horribly. [Microsoft that is...]

[Sayers]

I feel ms crap is grabbing at straws. They are trying scare tactics because they know that if they try and litigate and it makes it up to the supreme court then software patents might be found to be illegal. I mean who ever heard of patenting a mathematical formula.

I believe they are doing this because they want to lash out on something that is doing better than vista.