Microsoft going Open Source? Nah...

All over the news today is the word that Microsoft is turning from evil to good, hell is freezing and they're really adopt Open Source and trying to contribute to its world.

Let me give you some ice:

• The whole stuff is incompatible with GPLv2 and GPLv3.
• All this is full of patents and patent promises. For instance, while there's a promise to not sue voluntary non-paid developers, using the code covered by patents for commercial purposes is only permited “for the right fee”.

This news is bringing more harm than good to the open source and the free software world. Which is not that a big deal of news, considering it comes from Microsoft...

Trend Micro sues Barracuda

Talking about software patents... Trend Micro sues Barracuda, over a patent on filtering mails with spam.
Disgusting: http://smallr.net/trend-vs-barracuda

Four down, zillions to go

First it was Novell:
http://mindboosternoori.blogspot.com/2006/11/novell-dont-sue-us-sue-our-beloved.html

Then it was Xandros:
http://mindboosternoori.blogspot.com/2007/06/one-less-linux-distro.html

Then it was Linspire:
http://mindboosternoori.blogspot.com/2007/06/microsoft-eats-yet-another-linux-distro.html

Yesterday they nailed TurboLinux:
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2007/oct07/10-22MSTurbolinuxrdPR.mspx

Way to go, Microsoft, you killed four Linux distros. Now, go to http://distrowatch.com/ and prepare your minions: there are zillions of others in the battlefield.

WTF?

OK, here's a "What the F**k?" for today:

• European Comission legits Microsoft Software Patents [1]. WTF? I mean, you can't patent software in Europe [2], but you let Microsoft patents affect Europe? Where's the logic? The sentence the royalties for a worldwide licence including patents will be reduced from 5.95% to 0.4% - less than 7% of the royalty originally claimed is written as if there's something good about this, but as a matter of fact you can read this as "you have to pay for patent infringement or patent royalties to Microsoft in Europe, even if software patents aren't valid in Europe". I wonder what is going on in this guys heads...


• Portugal is going to have something called "Cartão do Cidadão", a "Citizen's Card", obligatory, that will replace out ID card among others. It seems that there's going to be a security conference in Portugal [3] where Accenture is going to talk about the Citizen's Card security scheme. Now, what puzzles me is VD's reaction on it [4] (VD was somewhat involved in the Citizen's Card project, BTW):

  in one hand the Digital Card is a portuguese Government prime security project and in the other, a local consultant company (which acts as a contractor for the Government) will be addressing his first security details at a conference, or at least I hope, it will be just a mist of conjunctions and speculation, due to the project security details and particularities

  Now, if the security of this project is of such importance (as, I agree, it is) what's wrong about talking about the security scheme? Don't you trust it? Because if you don't than it would be better not to have the card... Are you defending security through obscurity [5]? I really hope not [6]...

[1] - http://tinyurl.com/yodduw
[2] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_patent#Europe
[3] - http://www.vantagem.com/VS07.pdf
[4] - http://lists.paradigma.pt/pipermail/tce/2007-October/000137.html
[5] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_through_obscurity
[6] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_through_obscurity#Arguments_against

Software Patents pisses me off

*sigh*

I just stumbled upon this patent [1], for which I have published code that violates it (fortunately I'm not in USA). As usual, I found prior art in less than 5 minutes [2].

If you're still fool enough to think that software patents might be good, please take a look at this movie [3].

[1] - http://tinyurl.com/ypd2eq
[2] - http://tinyurl.com/243mjv
[3] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYbDfo4q5pw

Another Facebook lawsuit

While I have a Facebook account (don't we all?), I really don't like Facebook. I was (am?) intending to write about it for a while now, but until then I can leave the issue by just saying that I generaly agree with Fred's opinion about Facebook.

But not liking Facebook, nor the hype around it, doesn't mean that I think that something bad happens to them - as a matter of fact I wish them good luck, and it seems that they'll need it. They're already facing a lawsuit, which I think they'll manage to win, but now there are news about another lawsuit, about a patent infringement. Well, they are really infringing the patent in question, like any other social network, I might add. I find odd how did this guys got this patent, there is obviously prior art. See, we're talking about a software patent, bad by definition, that basicly say that this guys own the idea of «social networks built around communities of users with “common interests.”».

Do you need more proof that software patents are silly? Facebook, I wish you good luck.

Microsoft eats yet another Linux distro

Linspire was called Lindows, Microsft sued them. Now, following their moves with Novell and more recently Xandros, Microsoft made a patent deal with Linspire.

As for me, it's just yet another dead Linux distro.

One less Linux distro

As far as I'm concerned, Xandros is dead, as much as SuSE is.

From TechCrunch:

Microsoft has announced a new deal with Linux outfit Xandros that is similar to the Microsoft-Novell tie-up of last year coming complete with Intellectual property assurance.

So, who will be the next ones to sell their souls?

Microsoft threats Open Source

Microsoft SUCKS.

Conference on future of European patent system

On 15 and 16 May, over thirty experts from universities, institutions, government, and industry gather in Brussels to discuss the question "What future for the patent system in Europe?"

Among the speakers are William Kovacic, US Federal Trade Commissioner, Ron Marchant, former Chief Executive of the UK Patent Office, Prof. Reto Hilty of the Max Planck Institute, and South African entrepreneur and industry leader Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical, Ltd.

Brian Kahin of Washington-based CCIA, one of the organisations behind EUPACO, explains: "while the recent Communication from the Commission, 'Enhancing the patent system in Europe', focuses on the problems of the Community patent and the European Patent Litigation Agreement, it acknowledges the need for a holistic approach to patent policy. EUPACO-2 is a milestone event that addresses four main issues: costs and benefits, quality, diversity, and institutions."

eupaco.org

Tell the European Parliament to Fix IPRED2

On April 24th, the European Parliament will vote on IPRED2, the Second Intellectual Property Enforcement Directive. With one stroke, they risk turning thousands of innocent EU citizens and businesses into copycriminals. Only you can stop them.

If IPRED2 passes in its current form, "aiding, abetting, or inciting" copyright infringement on a "commercial scale" in the EU will become a crime.

Penalties for these brand new copycrimes will include permanent bans on doing business, seizure of assets, criminal records, and fines of up to €100,000.

IPRED2's backers say these copycrimes are meant only for professional criminals selling fake merchandise. But Europe already has laws against these fraudsters. With many terms in IPRED2 left unclear or completeley undefined - including "commercial scale" and "incitement" - IPRED2 will expand police authority and make suspects out of legitimate consumers and businesses, slowing innovation and limiting your digital rights.

IPRED2 and Business

The entertainment industry spent millions suing the makers of the first VCRs, MP3 players and digital video recorders, trying to use copyright law to kill those innovative products because they threatened old business models. Fortunately, the industry was unsuccessful.

IPRED2's new crime of "aiding, abetting and inciting" infringement again takes aim at innovators, including open source coders, media-sharing sites like YouTube, and ISPs that refuse to block P2P services.

With the new directive, music labels and Hollywood studios will push for the criminal prosecution of these innovators in Europe, saying their products "incite" piracy - with EU taxpayers covering the costs.

Under IPRED2, these same entertainment companies can work with transnational "joint investigation teams" to advise the authorities on how to investigate and prosecute their rivals!

IPRED2 and Your Digital Freedoms

Criminal law needs to be clear to be fair. While IPRED2 says that only "commercial scale" infringement will be punished, the directive doesn't define "commercial scale" or "incitement." Even IP lawyers can't agree on what are "private" and "personal" uses of copyrighted works. One step over that fuzzy line, however, and anyone could be threatened with punishments intended for professional counterfeiters and organized criminals.

How can ordinary citizens feel safe exercising their rights under copyright and trademark law when serious criminal penalties may be brought against them if they cross the line?

Tell the European Parliament to Fix IPRED2

The excesses of IPRED2 need to be reined back. Sign this petition now!.