Linus Torvalds, Linux creator, came out in a Q&A podcast with the Linux Foundation attacking patent trolls, SUN Microsystems, Microsoft, and More. "[P]atents on software should not be allowed," Torvalds said, "...it just does not work in software....[software] contains so many pieces that nobody could even know whether...different things might be under some completely trivial patent." He went on to add that "[patent trolls] don't have any code or any product or they don't sell anything at all." Torvalds even related patent trolls to terrorists, stating "they're the kind of terrorists that you can't bomb them back because there's nothing there to bomb."

In his Q&A with the Linux Foundation, Linus Torvalds explained how the patent issue isn't concentrated in the Linux and Open Source area only. "This has nothing to do with open source...this is very much a software patent problem in general....I think that the open source people are perhaps just much more aware of them." The Open Source and Linux communities have been thrust into the spotlight with concerns of patent violations; this kind of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) has been prevalent in the past few years with accusations made by Microsoft and other companies that Linux, in particular Linux corporations such as Red Hat Inc., have somehow violated their patents and thus owe big money.

Torvalds went on to target Microsoft specifically, stating that "...Microsoft really sees patents as a marketing thing...it is what they seem to have used in the past....when you're a convicted monopolist in the marketplace you really should not be suing your competitors over patents." He explained that it's in the best interests of Microsoft and other corporations to use FUD against Linux and the open source community in order to encourage them to buy proprietary software only, as if paid-for software was somehow exempt from potential patent suits.

When asked about Sun's community development plans and the recent purchase of MySQL, Torvalds seemed apprehensive at best. "It's generally hard to build a community around a commercial entity that also wants to be in control because everybody else around that commercial entity will always feel like they're at the mercy of Sun." It's clear that Torvalds' misgivings on commercially run software companies casts doubt in his eyes on any company's true devotion to community-driven software. "The fact that Sun wants to have copyright assignments and exclusive control over the [Open Office] license ends up being something that actually drives away some developers."

Linus Torvalds added that he did not see much of a rise in the Linux desktop market in the near future. He had pessimism that people's lack of desire for change with concern to the desktop would leave the market stagnant. "[T]he desktop is also the thing where people get really upset if something changes, so it’s really hard to enter the desktop market because people are used to whatever they used before, mostly Windows. And if you act differently from Windows, even if you act in some ways better, it doesn’t matter; better is worse if it’s different." Read our thoughts on the Linux market.

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Comments (2)

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved

---