12.10.07
Could Microsoft ‘Borrow’ Novell to Hurt Linux with UNIX?
Enough damage done with OOXML, but what about patents and trademarks?
This item is a short analysis which brings together many previous posts. DisinformationWeek presents an interesting story. It writes about Microsoft’s reluctance to talk about UNIX assets.
For months, I’ve been trying to get Microsoft to answer a few questions about the Unix technologies in its intellectual property portfolio. Microsoft agreed to an interview, then backed out. So the question remains: How much Unix code does Microsoft have its hands on?
We wrote about such issues before, so it’s worth cross-citing rather than repeating.
Novell may be the owner of what SCO claimed to be its assets, but this might actually be very bad news. Novell is very Microsoft-dependent and Microsoft uses Novell as a proxy for fake support, among other things. Novell can almost be treated as a Microsoft player inside the Free world.
”It also became clear that Novell keeps losing its talent, which can’t be good for its morale.“Novell’s financial situation seems to be more grim than people from the outside realise. Shortly after the SEC’s recent investigation into Novell’s accounting practice (last Wednesday) came a ’round table discussion’. In last week’s podcast from the Register, for example, it became more clear why Novell ran begging for Microsoft money. It also became clear that Novell keeps losing its talent, which can’t be good for its morale.
Last year, a month or two after the Novell/Microsoft deal, I asked myself whether Novell was to inherit SCO’s assets (including the bad ones). Shane later asked himself, “Is Novell the New SCO?”
Novell has become a risk to Free software and as we explained in some of the posts above, Microsoft could inherit assets not only from SCO, which had virtually been used, but also from Novell. Let’s not forget other assets and other hostile patent trolls that lurk. █
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.