Ballmer: "Number of patents Linux infringes on is declining"

Posted by hkwint on Oct 10, 2007 8:09 AM EDT
LXer Linux News; By H.Kwint
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Short patent timeline:

16 May, 1991: "If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today's ideas were invented, and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete standstill today." - Bill Gates, Challenges and Strategy Memo

Aug, 2004: OSDL releases a study saying Linux may infringe 283 patents; Ballmer leaves away the word "may"

May, 2007: Brad Smith claims Linux potentially infringes 235 patents

Oct, 2007: Ballmer claims

Linux potentially infringes 153 patents

Conclusion: Number of Microsoft patents filed at USPTO grows, but number of MS patents Linux potentially infringes on is declining.

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» Read more about: Story Type: Editorial, Humor; Groups: GNU, Linux, LXer, Microsoft

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Subject Topic Starter Replies Views Last Post
Funny, but with a scary lining Sander_Marechal 9 2,425 Oct 11, 2007 10:14 AM
LOL Hans! tuxchick 6 2,673 Oct 11, 2007 5:10 AM
CEO number6x 12 2,498 Oct 10, 2007 1:15 PM

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