Fortune Magazine article
Bruce Lowry
Novell
May 14, 2007
There's an article out [ http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/index.htm
] in Fortune Magazine talking about Microsoft, intellectual property and open source.
Because of our interoperability agreement with Microsoft, which includes a patent
element, Novell is featured in the story. We've received a number of inquiries about
the story, in which Microsoft lays out the specific number of patents it claims
are violated in Linux and other open source projects. While providing numbers is
new, the claims that violations exists are not new. In response to similar Microsoft
claims back in November, we put out an open letter [ http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/community_open_letter.html
] from our CEO, Ron Hovsepian, that states our position on this issue. That position
hasn't changed.
From that open letter…"We disagree with the recent statements made by Microsoft
on the topic of Linux and patents. Importantly, our agreement with Microsoft is
in no way an acknowledgment that Linux infringes upon any Microsoft intellectual
property. When we entered the patent cooperation agreement with Microsoft, Novell
did not agree or admit that Linux or any other Novell offering violates Microsoft
patents."
As we've said from the beginning of this agreement, our focus has been on interoperability
and making it easier for customers who have Linux and Windows to make those platforms
work together. The patent agreement simply takes the patent issue off the table
for those customers who are concerned about it.
2:10 pm
Copyright 2007 http://www.novell.com/prblogs/