Microsoft, Linux, RH and patents....

[Andy Green]

Scott van Looy wrote:

>> hence their ripping out of chunks of stuff like MP3 support.  If 
>> anyone doubted their wisdom they ain't doubting any more.
> 
> Ahem.
> Microsoft own the patent to at least two parts of OpenGL
> Novell spent lots of money developing OpenGL accelerated desktop stuff
> Redhat followed suit
> 
> So...who is silly here?

Why does anyone need to be silly?  I'm referring above to the many 
people complaining about no MP3 and codec support in Fedora, including ESR.


Googling about OpenGL and Microsoft, it seems they bought some patents 
from SGI in 2002, but it seems to have been more towards ensuring the 
Xbox was defended against attack.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/01/16/sgi_transfers_3d_graphics_patents/

 From the same timeframe there is this summary of a Forrester report

''Giga believes that the recently created OpenGL 2.0 working group will 
lessen Microsoft's patent claim by either de-emphasizing use of 
Microsoft's patented technology or writing new code to replicate these 
functions.''

http://www.forrester.com/Research/LegacyIT/Excerpt/0,7208,28681,00.html

Why do Microsoft's work for them with non-specific allusions about how 
"Microsoft own the patent to at least two parts of OpenGL"?  It just 
creates "Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt" for no benefit.

Microsoft own tons of patents of varying quality, some in the 3D world. 
  But if they force OpenGL to change (because the patents will be about 
specific technology, not "3D libraries") it won't kill Linux.  The way 
these guys work and think they won't spend the money (and break cover in 
terms of trying to annihilate technology many of their customers already 
rely on) on an attack unless they can directly see a handsome repayment.

-Andy