Microsoft Too Busy To Name Linux Patents?

bob_dinosaur writes "According to The Register, Microsoft's Patent Attorney Jim Markwith told the Open Source Business Conference that the reason they hadn't named the supposedly infringing patents was that it would be 'administratively impossible to keep up' with the list. 'According to Ramji, the executive tasked with the difficult job of straddling Microsoft's growing support for open source in server and tools, and aggressive and unpredictable statements from management on patents, made a jaw dropping attempt to explain away the Forbes article. "The reason we disclosed that, is because there was a request for transparency following the Novell deal Iast November. This was a response to that transparency," Ramji said. It was at that point the OSBC audience erupted.'" That transparency apparently extends to multiple levels. ZDNet is reporting that Novell will share the details of its agreement with Microsoft sometime in the near future.

Headline is wrong

[AKAImBatman]

Let me fix that for you:

Microsoft Too Busy Backpedaling To Name Linux Patents?

Contract details

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, apparently not only did the customers not know the details of the contract but apparently neither did Microsoft. Fortunately Novell is being forthcoming and letting Microsoft know what they agreed to. Maybe we'll be next.

" as ZDNet is reporting that Novell will share the details of its agreement with Microsoft"

Vista & Word

[Das Auge]

It's just that, when using the bloated Word with the equally bloated Vista, they're going to need a year or two to get the list completed.

Better things to do...

[Starteck81]

They must be too busy innovating and creating new patents. ;-)

man cat

[Anonymous Coward]

CAT(1)                          User Commands                          CAT(1)

NAME
       cat - concatenate files and print on the standard output

SYNOPSIS
       cat [OPTION] [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION
       Concatenate FILE(s), or standard input, to standard output.

       -A, --show-all
              equivalent to -vET

       -b, --number-nonblank
              number nonblank output lines

       -e     equivalent to -vE

       -E, --show-ends
              display $ at end of each line

       -n, --number
              number all output lines

       -s, --squeeze-blank
              never more than one single blank line

       -t     equivalent to -vT

       -T, --show-tabs
              display TAB characters as ^I

       -u     (ignored)

       -v, --show-nonprinting
              use ^ and M- notation, except for LFD and TAB

       --help display this help and exit

       --version
              output version information and exit

       With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

AUTHOR
       Written by Torbjorn Granlund and Richard M. Stallman.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <[e-mail]>.

Re:Hwhat?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's kind of a Heisenberg thing: the more you know about which products are infringing the patents, the less you know about which patents are being infringed.

Re:Administratively impossible?

[Reverend528]

You can't list what isn't there.

Sure I can:

• Unicorns
• Fairies
• Leprechauns
• Valid Software Patents

Re:Administratively impossible?

[hcdejong]

Maybe it started like this:

NOOOOoooobody expects the Ballmer Inquisition! Our chief weapon is patent nr 1,563,245...1,563,245 and 934,189...934,189 and 1,563,245.... Our two weapons are 934,189 and 1,563,245...and 2,100,003.... Our *three* weapons are patents nr 934,189, 1,563,245, and 2,100,003...and 2,100,004.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such patents as 934,189, 1,563,245.... I'll come in again.

Poor Ramji

[uradu]

> [...] Ramji, the executive tasked with the difficult job of straddling
> Microsoft's growing support for open source in server and tools,
> and aggressive and unpredictable statements from management on patents [...]

They should hire Tony Snow, he can do that on mere brain stem functionality.

Re:Administratively impossible?

[jstretch78]

Its not suspicious at all, I do the same thing with the tasks assigned to me in the bug tracker.

Hey, try this excuse!

[HangingChad]

My dog ate the patent list.

That's actually more believable.

Re:Administratively impossible?

[CantStopDancing]

And most geeks know the correct form would be select count(id) (select count(*) is slower, and your syntax is wrong)

There is no spoon...

[fahrbot-bot]

Do not try and list the patents... that's impossible.
Instead only try to realize the truth... There is no list.

Re:Administratively impossible?

[tzot]

Come on, Frosty. Admit the truth: you work at Microsoft, and you're the one everyone expects the patent list from.

whats impossible is..

[segfault_0]

Im sorry, its administratively impossible for me to keep track of all the bullshit coming out of Redmond.