05.27.07
Who Are MLGP - Microsoft Licensing, GP?
Further evidence that Novell has some sort of IP license with Microsoft is this gem, which made it through the redaction: in Section 16(Notices) of the Microsoft-Novell patent agreement.
It turns out that there are 3 parties which are deserving of notice in this deal (there are other parties to the deal - namely Novell’s customers and OpenSUSE.org contributors, but the deal architects apparently don’t consider them worthy of Notice, I suppose): Microsoft, Novell, and something known as MLGP:.
16. NOTICES
Any notice under this Agreement shall be effective upon receipt when made in writing and delivered to the other party at the address stated below. Notice by facsimile is effective upon receipt if an original signature copy is mailed contemporaneously to the other party at the address stated below.For Microsoft: For MLGP: For Novell: Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Licensing, GP Novell, Inc. One Microsoft Way 6100 Neil Road 404 Wyman Redmond, WA USA 98052 Reno, Nevada, USA 89511 Waltham, MA USA 02451 Attn: Director of IP Attn: Managing Partner Attn: General Counsel Licensing Law and Corporate Affairs Facsimile: xxx.xxx.xxxx Facsimile: xxx.xxx.xxxx Facsimile: xxx.xxx.xxxx
So, who are MLGP? It’s Microsoft’s Licensing division, oh well, let me allow them to introduce themselves:
Just down the road from Lake Tahoe, in Reno, Nevada, you’ll find Microsoft Licensing, GP headquarters. We handle product licensing agreements, worldwide for Microsoft. This high-impact organization is at the forefront of an industry that’s growing at an incredible rate. An industry that represents the future of how software purchases everywhere will transpire. What’s more, we’ve got Microsoft’s resources to draw from. It’s big. And the ground floor is wide open. Welcome to Microsoft Licensing, GP.
"The future of how software purchases everywhere will transpire" - Sounds exciting, No? What they mean to say is, "in every future software purchase, we will take a cut". Think about all of those Free Software and Open Source products that you have to shake down - not only the developers, but the end users too?
Geez, there must be billions in potential extortion, I mean Licensing, revenues available, if only we could get someone to sign up first and validate the whole scheme.
Oh, wait.
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.