Xandros signed deal with Microsoft, Linux community angered

 

Xandros, a creator of Linux operating systems for home, business and educational use, signed an agreement last Monday with Microsoft for a patent cross-licensing deal. The agreement would allow Novell and Xandros, among others, to license Microsoft IP for development of their Linux-based operating systems. But the most important part to note is that the licensing also works the other way around.

Its CEO, Andreas Typaldos, said last Thursday that it didn’t see its Linux distribution in violation of Microsoft’s patent claims, despite making a move to join Novell in the cross-licensing venture with the Redmond giant. The Linux community has eyes fiercely fixed on Xandros, maintaining a stand that Typaldos can only put as “you shouldn’t really be talking to the devil.”

Earlier, Microsoft did claim that Linux was in violation of 235 of its patents, although it has yet to reveal those details. Typaldos has admitted that they have not revealed any of the patents in violation to Xandros, although he sure that Linux does not violate a single patent by Microsoft.

“We did not discuss patents [with Microsoft] and we don’t think Linux violates any patents and we were not asked about it. It is a non-issue for us,” said Typaldos. But the Linux community frowned on Xandros and claimed that the deal erodes open source licensing provisions – particularly those revolving around intellectual property issues.

The Free Software Foundation is now making a new draft to the GNU General Public License (GPL) to prohibit such patent deals in the future.

Via PC World

 

Xandros, a creator of Linux operating systems for home, business and educational use, signed an agreement last Monday with Microsoft for a patent cross-licensing deal. The agreement would allow Novell and Xandros, among others, to license Microsoft IP for development of their Linux-based operating systems. But the most important part to note is that the licensing also works the other way around.

Its CEO, Andreas Typaldos, said last Thursday that it didn’t see its Linux distribution in violation of Microsoft’s patent claims, despite making a move to join Novell in the cross-licensing venture with the Redmond giant. The Linux community has eyes fiercely fixed on Xandros, maintaining a stand that Typaldos can only put as “you shouldn’t really be talking to the devil.”

Earlier, Microsoft did claim that Linux was in violation of 235 of its patents, although it has yet to reveal those details. Typaldos has admitted that they have not revealed any of the patents in violation to Xandros, although he sure that Linux does not violate a single patent by Microsoft.

“We did not discuss patents [with Microsoft] and we don’t think Linux violates any patents and we were not asked about it. It is a non-issue for us,” said Typaldos. But the Linux community frowned on Xandros and claimed that the deal erodes open source licensing provisions – particularly those revolving around intellectual property issues.

The Free Software Foundation is now making a new draft to the GNU General Public License (GPL) to prohibit such patent deals in the future.

Via PC World