12.07.07
Quick Mention: Another Major Case for the GNU GPL
A few weeks ago we explained and showed why GPL is a licence that had already been tested in court. It may not have gotten a victory (nor a loss) in all the courts around the world, but so far it has a flawless track record where people comply rather than complain. The big news today is SFLC’s lawsuit against a company as large as Verizon, which only recently joined Google’s Android embracers. Android is a phone stack that contains the Linux kernel and Java, both of which are GPLv2-licensed.
Groklaw has the text of the filing (PDF) transformed into plain text.
The same two principal developers already successfully sued Monsoon Media, and they have litigation pending against Xterasys Corporation and High-Gain Antennas, LLC. Here is the press release from the Software Freedom Law Center on the Verizon suit, followed by the complaint as text.
This ought to be an interesting case to watch. Many routers in many homes contain GPL-licensed code where Verizon infringements were involved. Who will be compensated, how much, and what will be the impact on the perception and uptake of the licence? It remains to be seen. █
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.