[opensuse] Fact or Fiction? Possible Novell Ban
This morning on Slashdot I read an article discussing the possibility of Novell being banned from distributing linux. Here is an excerpt: Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from selling Linux. In the wake of the (much maligned) Novell/Microsoft deal, the Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell's right to sell the operating system at all. The foundation controls the rights to key parts of the operating system, and council for the organization said that 'the community wants to interfere any way it can' with the Novell business arrangement. No decision has yet been reached, but one should be made in the next two weeks." Is this a measured response, or an over-reaction to the Novell/Microsoft arrangement? Link to full story: http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/03/0921201&from=rss My question is, will this effect OpenSuSE, and if so, how? Cheers, James -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
This morning on Slashdot I read an article discussing the possibility of Novell being banned from distributing linux.
And one of the very first reactions is someone pointing out this link.... http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS6837365670.html Which says... ------------------------------ According to a recent Reuters report, the Free Software Foundation's (FSF) board was going to be looking into Novell Inc.'s rights to continue selling its version of the Linux operating system. That, however, is not actually what will be happening. Eben Moglen, the Software Freedom Law Center's executive director and an FSF board member, explained: "This is a story being hyped by the Reuters guy who wrote it." The Reuters quote was: "The community of people wants to do anything they can to interfere with this deal and all deals like it. They have every reason to be deeply concerned that this is the beginning of a significant patent aggression by Microsoft." "What he actually asked me," said Moglen in an email interview, "was 'Is it true that some members of the community want GPLv3 to keep Novell from distributing future versions of GPL'd software?' I said, 'Yes, the Free Software Foundation is opposed to the deal, and is thinking about what to do; there will be a new draft soon [of the GPLv3]" (GNU General Public License Version 3). -------------------- So.. no new news here... same old rehash of an old topic. C. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 2/3/07, James Montgomery <james@opensourcesolution.org> wrote:
This morning on Slashdot I read an article discussing the possibility of Novell being banned from distributing linux.
Here is an excerpt:
Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from selling Linux. In the wake of the (much maligned) Novell/Microsoft deal, the Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell's right to sell the operating system at all. The foundation controls the rights to key parts of the operating system, and council for the organization said that 'the community wants to interfere any way it can' with the Novell business arrangement. No decision has yet been reached, but one should be made in the next two weeks." Is this a measured response, or an over-reaction to the Novell/Microsoft arrangement?
Link to full story: http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/03/0921201&from=rss
A guy from the FSF had a comment on this as the person from Reuters had presented the interview in a light different from what he intended ... namely FSFis looking at publishing GPL 3 and putting text in it to stop companies from doing what Novell and MS did. It has not been voted yet and the kernel group is in favor of V2 anyway. I saw the link on linuxtoday.com cannot find it now. I cannot speculate what that means to opensuse...
My question is, will this effect OpenSuSE, and if so, how?
Cheers,
James
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 2007-02-03 10:25, George Stoianov wrote:
<snip> voted yet and the kernel group is in favor of V2 anyway. I saw the link on linuxtoday.com cannot find it now. You could search your browser history for all linuxtoday references :-)
I cannot speculate what that means to opensuse...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be. The Novell/SuSE people here have made that very clear. What can GPL3 seek to do, prohibit Novell from simultaneously distributing the kernel and making an agreement with a company like MS? Lots of luck, that would only be completely illegal. -- Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo. -- HG Wells -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Saturday 03 February 2007 12:48, Darryl Gregorash wrote:
The Novell/SuSE people here have made that very clear. What can GPL3 seek to do, prohibit Novell from simultaneously distributing the kernel and making an agreement with a company like MS? Lots of luck, that would only be completely illegal.
Besides, MS counts on, that they will vote for GPLv3 as one of, for them, positive outcomes, that will stop or slow down one of the serious competitors in the operating system market. In reactions on MS-Novell deal, FSF don't show signs of understanding that fighting Novell in seek for ultimate software freedom, they fight their own goals and reasons for existence. Lesser people using Linux means lesser people that can spread the word. Is that what they want? -- Regards, Rajko. http://en.opensuse.org/Portal -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Darryl Gregorash wrote:
...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be.
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years, and we don't know what they cover, or, more to the point, what Microsoft will _say_ they cover. As I stated in a previous thread on this subject, a patent is valid until a court says it is invalid, and in a patent suit, the most bucks usually win -- even if the patent is flagrantly silly to knowledgeable professionals. If Microsoft has patented a 20-year-old software technique that has been in the linux kernel for 15 years, it's up to linux partisans to convince _a_court_ that linux doesn't violate the patent. That means _nonprofessionals_ will decide whether Microsoft professionals or linux's professionals are lying -- and Microsoft clearly has the most bucks (unless IBM participates aggressively). The Novell/SuSE people here have made that very clear. They may have made clear that they know of none. That's different from making it clear that there _are_ none. All they've really done (officially, at least) is covered themselves and _their_customers_ for five years against such an attack. We can only hope they know what they are doing. It appears that FSF isn't so sure. -- John Perry -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Sunday 04 February 2007, John E. Perry wrote:
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years,
If they got the patent in the last couple years it hardly matters does it!. The mere presence of said technology in linux would be prior art and therefore invalidate any two year old patent. -- _____________________________________ John Andersen
* John E. Perry <j.e.perry@cox.net> [02-04-07 23:38]:
Darryl Gregorash wrote:
...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be.
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years, and we don't know what they cover, or, more to the point, what Microsoft will _say_ they cover.
And Mickey$oft's word is good for ???? -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/gallery2 OpenSUSE Linux http://en.opensuse.org/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Mon, 2007-02-05 at 08:28 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:
* John E. Perry <j.e.perry@cox.net> [02-04-07 23:38]:
Darryl Gregorash wrote:
...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be.
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years, and we don't know what they cover, or, more to the point, what Microsoft will _say_ they cover.
And Mickey$oft's word is good for ????
About two minutes or less. -- Ken Schneider UNIX since 1989, linux since 1994, SuSE since 1998 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Mon, 2007-02-05 at 08:28 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:
* John E. Perry <j.e.perry@cox.net> [02-04-07 23:38]:
Darryl Gregorash wrote:
...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be.
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years, and we don't know what they cover, or, more to the point, what Microsoft will _say_ they cover.
And Mickey$oft's word is good for ????
Two Senators on the right commettees and thirty members of the house plus an odd judge or two. All you need is enough money to buy them. -- ___ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ | | | | [__ | | | |___ |_|_| ___] | \/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Patrick Shanahan wrote:
* John E. Perry <j.e.perry@cox.net> [02-04-07 23:38]:
Darryl Gregorash wrote:
...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be.
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years, and we don't know what they cover, or, more to the point, what Microsoft will _say_ they cover.
And Mickey$oft's word is good for ????
Once they've got a patent, it has to be challenged. Remember what happened with RIM and the Blackberry. They had to pay about 1/2 billion for infringing on a patent that was well on it's way to being invalidated. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
James Knott wrote:
Patrick Shanahan wrote:
* John E. Perry <j.e.perry@cox.net> [02-04-07 23:38]:
Darryl Gregorash wrote:
...
There are no MS patents in code in any GPL software. There never will be.
That is a statement that neither you nor anyone else outside of Microsoft management can make. They have gotten thousands of software patents in the past couple of years, and we don't know what they cover, or, more to the point, what Microsoft will _say_ they cover.
And Mickey$oft's word is good for ????
Once they've got a patent, it has to be challenged. Remember what happened with RIM and the Blackberry. They had to pay about 1/2 billion for infringing on a patent that was well on it's way to being invalidated.
Thanks, James. Good to see there's someone else here who doesn't have his head in the sand. -- John Perry -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Sat, 2007-02-03 at 11:08 -0500, James Montgomery wrote:
This morning on Slashdot I read an article discussing the possibility of Novell being banned from distributing linux.
Here is an excerpt:
Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from selling Linux. In the wake of the (much maligned) Novell/Microsoft deal, the Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell's right to sell the operating system at all. The foundation controls the rights to key parts of the operating system, and council for the organization said that 'the community wants to interfere any way it can' with the Novell business arrangement. No decision has yet been reached, but one should be made in the next two weeks." Is this a measured response, or an over-reaction to the Novell/Microsoft arrangement?
Link to full story: http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/03/0921201&from=rss
My question is, will this effect OpenSuSE, and if so, how?
Cheers,
James
Interesting FUD but the matter is moot if the kernel developers don't adopt GPL3. Seem Linus is not too thrilled with the "Restrictions" coming from the "Free" Software Foundation. Linus seems to be much more pragmatic, and as long as the Kernel stays GPL2 there's not much here to worry about -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
James Montgomery escribió:
This morning on Slashdot I read an article discussing the possibility of Novell being banned from distributing linux.
Here is an excerpt:
Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from selling Linux.
Linux copyright is not owned by the FSF, Linux distrbution components rights are owned by large number of individuals, business and institutions around the world.
the Free Software Foundation is reviewing Novell's right to sell the operating system at all.
FSF is not a law enforcement institution, __only courts___ can decide on that.
The foundation controls the rights to key parts of the operating system,
With the notable exclusion of the most important part, the kernel that wont be licensed under GPLv3. :)
My question is, will this effect OpenSuSE, and if so, how?
no, because that information is false and misleading.. that is called FUD. ;-)
On Monday 05 February 2007, Cristian Rodriguez R. wrote:
Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from selling Linux.
Linux copyright is not owned by the FSF, Linux distrbution components rights are owned by large number of individuals, business and institutions around the world.
Actually a large number of copyrights and also patents have been (conditionally) assigned over the them IIRC. -- _____________________________________ John Andersen
On Tuesday 06 February 2007 02:43:25 John Andersen wrote:
On Monday 05 February 2007, Cristian Rodriguez R. wrote:
Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from selling Linux.
Linux copyright is not owned by the FSF, Linux distrbution components rights are owned by large number of individuals, business and institutions around the world.
Actually a large number of copyrights and also patents have been (conditionally) assigned over the them IIRC.
Hitler this whole assinine thread, please... -- Roger Oberholtzer OPQ Systems AB -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
With the notable exclusion of the most important part, the kernel that wont be licensed under GPLv3. :)
It will eventually. Its just a matter of time until Linus gets the clue stick. Resistant he is. Stupid he is not. Ruben -- http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998 http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002 "Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME" "The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society." "> I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.< You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attacted at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess you missed that one." -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Saturday 10 February 2007 20:17, Ruben Safir wrote:
With the notable exclusion of the most important part, the kernel that wont be licensed under GPLv3. :)
It will eventually. Its just a matter of time until Linus gets the clue stick. Resistant he is. Stupid he is not.
It's not up to Linus. The kernel simply has too many copyright holders to change the license, so no, it won't change -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Saturday 03 February 2007 10:08, James Montgomery wrote:
Link to full story: http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/03/0921201&from=rss
My question is, will this effect OpenSuSE, and if so, how? Actually, this is the link to the full story...
http://today.reuters.com/misc/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2007-02-02T230933Z_01_N02280856_RTRUKOC_0_US-NOVELL-LINUX.xml ... and it is FUD... ... but just because its FUD doesn't mean it isn't also true! A Quote from the article: "The stock [Novell] is likely to trade down before the Foundation discloses its ruling as investors stay on the sidelines to avoid the worst-case scenario, analysts said." "Investors don't like uncertainty," Egbert said. "This isn't good to the extent that it creates uncertainty around the technical road map." ... So, yeah, this is going to affect Novell and Opensuse. FSF is going to fight the Novel stupidity of last November... but it won't happen until GPL3. Until then, some FUD, some posturing, some seathing, some venting... you know. -- Kind regards, M Harris <>< -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (17)
-
Anders Johansson -
Carl William Spitzer IV -
Clark P. Case -
Clayton -
Cristian Rodriguez R. -
Darryl Gregorash -
George Stoianov -
James Knott -
James Montgomery -
John Andersen -
John E. Perry -
Kenneth Schneider -
M Harris -
Patrick Shanahan -
Rajko M. -
Roger Oberholtzer -
Ruben Safir