It’s been just two days since Microsoft and Novell announced a protection racket whereby Novell are “safe” for a limited period from the patent lawyers.
Steve Ballmer – the Microsoft CEO – has now started bullying other Linux vendors into entering similar agreements.
SAN FRANCISCO—Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said his company is open to talking to other Linux distributors about reaching mutual patent coverage deals similar to the agreement signed Nov. 2 with Novell.
Such talks would be a good idea, Ballmer suggested, since now only Novell’s SUSE Linux customers are the only Linux vendors that have any assurance that Microsoft won’t sue for patent infringement.
How entirely unsurprising for Microsoft to fall back to it’s old ways just when some thought this agreement might be good for Linux.
