12.07.07
With Linux Deals, Has Microsoft Found a Way Around Strong Patent Laws?
”At the end of the day, there may be a way here to bypass the law’s exclusion of software patents.“Here is a random thought. Think about this for a moment. If someone in a country where software patents are illegal buys SUSE and pays Novell, which in turn passes royalties to Microsoft for patents, then Microsoft essentially defeats foreign patents systems and manages to collect fees (the so-called ‘Linux tax’) which it does not deserve. By association, and using various other means, this so-called ‘Linux tax’ can also be passed on from one distribution to another. Of course, there are other serious issues. At the end of the day, there may be a way here to bypass the law’s exclusion of software 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.