Microsoft and Steve Ballmer have claimed a number of times that open source and Linux infringe on Microsoft patents. Despite constant requests, Microsoft has, for some reason, refused to present these patents. To make things even worse it has now claimed that there are 235 different patent infringements (Linux 42, GUI 65, e-mail 15, OpenOffice 45, Other 68). Microsoft has no interest in hunting down and suing every last developer infringing on its patents but is trying to strike licensing deals instead. The most obvious is the cooperation with Novell.
Many open source companies and The Free Software Association made strong remarks when Novell decided to strike a deal with Microsoft. Many consider this a way, perhaps the only way, Microsoft can hurt Linux.
You can’t deny that we feel a certain frustration after Microsoft’s claims, especially considering its refusal to present any kind of proofs. Things have gone so far that Linux Torvalds himself have reacted and even displayed some irritation.
In an interview published in Fortune Magazine he says that it is more likely that Microsoft is infringing on patents, than Linux is. He also repeats the requests for evidence, which once and for all could prove if Linux is infringing and in that way could work around the patents in question.
