Microsoft and LG Electronics Sign Linux Covenant 263
rs232 wrote with a PC World link discussing another alliance between Microsoft and a vendor via Linux. The vendor this time around is electronics maker LG, and marks the fifth company to license unspecified patents relating to Linux or Linux devices from the OS giant. "'This agreement is focused only on exchange of patent rights,' said David Kaefer, general manager of IP licensing at Microsoft. 'The open-source elements of the deal do utilize a covenant model similar to the Xandros and Novell deals, but this deal is most similar to recent agreements with Samsung and Fuji Xerox.' Those deals were signed this year in April and March, respectively. Both covered general access to intellectual property contained in patent portfolios and included protection for customers using Linux-based software."
Re:Just wasting their money... (Score:3, Informative)
In addition, LG will be making ongoing payments to Microsoft to cover Microsoft patents as they relate to Linux-based embedded devices that LG produces.
Re:The cascade effect has started. (Score:5, Informative)
Anti-trust.
MS is pressuring people to sign these agreements under the veil that they could get sued by Microsoft -- even though none of their claims have been released or validated.
Snidely imply that Linux violates your patents, get people to sign up and cross license their patents with you, then use that as further pressure to get other people to sign up for licensing agreements. These companies didn't go to MS and say "hey, we'd like to do that" -- I bet thy got told that if they *didn't*, then they could be subject to legal action.
Illegally using your market dominance to unfairly compete -- too bad the USDOJ lost their balls to actually do anything. Notice, they still haven't complied with the EUs requirements.
Basically, they're just thumbing their nose at people who are pointing out what they are doing is supposed to be illegal.
Cheers
Re:Just wasting their money... (Score:5, Informative)
Not quite; the scales are still tipped in the developer's favor.
Here's why: the resolution for the patent infringement is to cease distribution of the infringing patent, to license the patent, or to reimplement in a non-infringing way.
The resolution for copyright infringement is to pay damages for _each_ instance of infringement (every unit shipped/distributed/downloaded) AND cease distribution of the infringing product until it is reimplemented in a non-infringing way.