04.29.07
Novell Enters the Infamous Software Patents Maze
When Novell signed the deal with Microsoft, it implicitly acknowledged — whether deliberately or not — that Linux is ‘unclean’, that it requires protection from patents. The two deals which followed, namely the ones with Sansung and with Fuji Xerox, seem to indicate that not the kernel is being targetted; rather, it is some related software. Heavily-patented technology such as .Net makes Mono come to mind. The following is a nice video which demonstrates the nightmare one faces when entering the universe of patents.
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.