Convicted Monopolist Terrorizes Software Industry - by Michael J.Jordan
Yes, fear sells. Microsoft knows this. And if they can't sell software (it would seem that the tepid response to Vista would prove this), then they'll try selling some fear. This week, they're selling it wholesale. They've made this clear via an article in Fortune this past Monday. In it, Microsoft chief counsel Brad Smith claimed that the Linux kernel, along with other Open Source and Free Software applications, infringed on over 200 patents owned by Bill Gates and company. The article got into specifics on which applications violated the patents and contained an indirect threat of lawsuits.
Microsoft may be a behemoth, but they're not big enough to take on the world in the courts. For now, they'll just play the fear card. But even fear will get you so far. Then what happens when nobody's afraid anymore?
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