[LINK] Microsoft sues TomTom
Kim Holburn
kim at holburn.net
Sat Mar 7 01:18:39 AEDT 2009
Interesting case. Microsoft has sued TomTom for using various MS
patents, among others using VFAT file system on flash memory devices
and using computer interfaces for in-vehicle GPS systems.
An interesting article by Glynn Moody here:
http://www.computerworlduk.com/toolbox/open-source/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=1953&blogid=14
refers to Jeremy Allison of samba's analysis:
> What people are missing about this is the either/or choice that
> Microsoft is giving Tom Tom.
>
> It isn't a case of cross-license and everything is ok. If Tom Tom or
> any other company cross licenses patents then by section 7 of GPLv2
> (for the Linux kernel) they lose the rights to redistribute the
> kernel *at all*.
>
> Microsoft has been going around and doing these patent cross
> licensing deals with companies under NDA's so they never come to
> light for *years*.
>
> That was the whole point of the Novell deal - Microsoft lawyers
> finally thought they'd found a way to *publicly* do these cross
> licensing deals and get around the GPLv2, but the GPLv3 put paid to
> that.
>
> Tom Tom are the first company to publicly refuse to engage in this
> ugly little protection racket, and so they got sued. Had Tom Tom
> silently agreed to violate the GPL, as so many others have, then
> we'd only hear about a vague "patent cross licensing deal" just like
> the ones Microsoft announces with other companies.
>
> Make no mistake, this is intended to force Tom Tom to violate the
> GPL, or change to Microsoft embedded software.
I can't see how this can end well for either party.
--
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +39 06 855 4294 M: +39 3494957443
mailto:kim at holburn.net aim://kimholburn
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