Microsoft now own Novell IP - Possible Unix patents

Naikon

Now, I understand it's not possible to aquire all the rights to Unix. It should also be noted that the Open Group is the registered trademark holder of the term "UNIX", but this is still very worrying for Linux/Open source in general. Is this just another dirty tactic on Microsofts behalf? So much for the "We love Open Source" article a while back. I would never trust a word from any representative of this company in particular imo. Can we expect more lawsuits regarding Linux & Microsoft? Bad buzz...

link

aidan_walsh

If Microsoft don't act on it any more than Novell did, whats the problem (aside from having to read blusterful crap like "Nevertheless, selling any patents to Microsoft is like selling your baby to a pedophile in the limited sense that you can reasonably predict what it will do with the acquisition.")?

Any SCO-like suits are purely speculative at the moment.

evercloserunion

For clarity, some of Novell's IP has gone to a consortium organised my MS. To my knowledge, nobody knows if that includes Unix patents, though I am open to correction on that.

There is reason to suspect that MS will deal with the IP in a less open-source-friendly way than Novell, but after SCO any Unix-related lawsuit looks undesirable.

Why does Novell own the IP to Unix anyway, is it something to do with SUSE? Because if so any Unix-related IP has probably gone to Attachmate.

(aside from having to read blusterful crap like "Nevertheless, selling any patents to Microsoft is like selling your baby to a pedophile in the limited sense that you can reasonably predict what it will do with the acquisition.")

I agree, that's terrible writing. Groklaw is usually better than that.

evercloserunion

Novell has announced that it will be retaining the copyrights to the UNIX operating system.

http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Novell-to-retain-UNIX-copyrights-1141864.html