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Microsoft signs Linux patent deal with Buffalo From the 'patent threats' files:
Linux users take note: Microsoft has signed another patent licensing agreement with a Linux using vendor. In this new case, Microsoft has signed a deal with Melco Group the group that owns tech vendor Buffalo Technology. The deal specifically deals with Buffalo's NAS (network attached storage) devices as well as Buffalo routers - both of which run Linux. "While we plan to increasingly adopt Windows Storage Server for our NAS business, we also wanted to ensure that our open source and Linux-embedded devices had the appropriate IP protections," Hajime Nakai, director and member of the board at Buffalo in a statement. "By collaborating with Microsoft on a practical business solution, we are able to provide our customers with the appropriate IP coverage, while also maintaining full compliance with our obligations under the GPLv2."Microsoft has not specifically disclosed which patents it is licensing to Melco - which is a cause for concern in my opinion. As opposed to the TomTom incident where Microsoft exposed which patents it had issues with, in this new deal with Buffalo we don't know. As such it could be any one or a number of patents that Microsoft has claimed that open source infringes on. Buffalo could have challenged Microsoft potentially - especially if the tech is GPLv2 licensed and the Linux community might have been able to help. With this deal, as it currently stands we don't know what the exact issue is and no help can be offered. This deal also raises the issue of patents and GPLv2 compliance -- it's one that Novell has also grappled with. I suspect that other deals like this will continue. As long as their is a perception of risk and Microsoft is engaging in its efforts to get vendors that use Linux to license Microsoft IP, there will be vendors that will buy into the protection. 0 TrackBacksListed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Microsoft signs Linux patent deal with Buffalo . TrackBack URL for this entry: https://swarm.jupitermedia.com/mt-tb.cgi/8482 11 CommentsLeave a comment |
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Quick! GPLv3!
Gee, ya think it's for SMB/CIFS?
That's crazy, Microsoft attacks Linux again with patents and at the same time try to make us believe Mono is safe.
Software patents is the cancer of today's computing.
which patents?
@Linux 'Software patents is the cancer of today's computing.'
Indeed it is.
John said:
>Gee, ya think it's for SMB/CIFS?
No.
SMB/CIFS implementation in Linux is implemented by the Samba project, which is licensed under GPLv3 (not GPLv2) and which has been given the SMB/CIFS specifications from Microsoft.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1064
http://news.samba.org/announcements/samba_gplv3/
Finally ... what is there to patent in SMB/CIFS? The SMB protocol is IBM's invention, and LAN networking functionality in general is pioneered in Novell Netware.
sounds like a monopoly acting badly....
who is watching these thugs ?
protection for unnamed issues...
sounds like a racket
another reason to hate MS
Send Ballmer and his execs to jail. That's what you're supposed to do with extortionists.
"Microsoft attacks Linux again with patents and at the same time try to make us believe Mono is safe."
Precisely, they won't sue for us to include it, they'll just bully any smaller company that uses it.
I am truly disgusted. I didn't buy a buffalo router with linux to pay f***ing MS!
I have a router that is Buffalo and also some of their USB wifi and all of it works excellent with Linux. Sad to say, I won't be buying any more Buffalo products. Any company that caves into MS extortion is setting a bad example for the FOSS community. And no, I don't hate MS or hate Windows. They're decent products and they have their place. But MS's behaviour in trying to strong arm everyone to maintain their products dominance with frivolous threats of patent infringement is annoying and stifles innovation. If they really had a case they would have sued every linux vendor and distro a long time ago.