[Osia-discuss] Re: [Linux-aus] Fwd: Microsoft to take direct shots at Linux rivals

[John Dalton]

Chris Debenham wrote:
 > Am I the only one that thinks this withdrawal from attacking Linux
 > in general to attacking particular companies my be the in order that
 > they can move into the linux distro market at a later time without
 > shooting their own feet?  That way they can bring out MS Linux(tm)
 > later and say that linux was never the problem, it was the
 > apps/other distros?

Bring it on!

Even if they ship it with a bunch of proprietary products on top (such
as a Linux version of MS Office), they'll undoubtedly need to make
modifications and improvements - and thanks to the GPL *everyone* gets
the benefit of those.

In short, this would place them in a position no different to any
other commercial vendor of Linux, and I don't see what the problem
would be with that.

On a related note - Can anyone comment on whether or not the
provisions of the GPL would preclude someone from releasing code under
that license, and then enforcing patent restrictions covering that
code?

Yours,

John Dalton