Vultures of intellectual monopolies seek to turn a dying business model into one of racketeering

IN THE beginning Microsoft laughed at Linux and free software, claiming it was just an operating system for hackers and hobbyists, posing no real threat to their domination of the computing industry. Now it’s a very different story and Microsoft admits that Linux is their number one threat.

A look at some new articles about software patents in the United States

Phelps portrays Microsoft as desperately striving to adapt to a new world of aggressive enforcement of intellectual property (IP), but ends up suggesting a rising IP hegemon eager to shape a new world of such enforcement. It's not pretty.

“Analysts sell out - that’s their business model… But they are very concerned that they never look like they are selling out, so that makes them very prickly to work with.” - Microsoft, internal document [PDF]. A look at the proximity between GNU/Linux-hostile analysts and the company which feeds them

Six months ago I noted that the European Patent Office had embarked upon a fairly abstruse process:

When Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference went on sale in January, I created a Web site to redistribute the free edition and act as a central information source for the book. And because the book was about Ubuntu, I made ample mention of the word "Ubuntu" and also used the familiar three-part circle logo.

Criminalisation of Free(dom) software still on Europe's agenda due to patent law and cybercrime debate