Sun Microsystems: "innovate, not litigate"

[unixronin]

May 14: Microsoft wheels out the FUD, claiming open-source is infringing 235 Microsoft patents, but declines to specify which.  (Sound familiar?  *cough*cough*SCO*cough*))

May 15:  Sun Microsystems responds.

So what's my view on this interview in Fortune - in which one of Sun's business partners claims the open source community is trampling their patent portfolio?

You would be wise to listen to the customers you're threatening to sue - they can leave you, especially if you give them motivation.  Remember, they wouldn't be motivated unless your products were somehow missing the mark.

Comments

[arasirsul.livejournal.com]

I liked Linus Torvalds' comment on the subject, which basically boiled down to, "Funny how they won't bother telling us which ones, 'cause the FUD's worth more to them than a lawsuit."

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yup. I find Linus' viewpoint on the whole issue rather refreshing, particularly the observation that "if you develop [a technology] yourself independently without ever seeing the patent, it bolsters the argument that it was an obvious development."

[darthgeek.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I found that interesting too. "You're violating our patents, but, we won't tell you which ones!"

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

"After all, if we told you which patents we claim you're violating, you could PROVE we're blowing smoke out of our ass, instead of just suspecting it."

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

I thought that Groklaw (http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070515125107293) had an intelligent take on the whole mess, along with the analysis that Micro$oft blinked.

With the recent Supreme Court rulings on patents, Micro$oft's patent portfolio is likely much weaker than they would ever want to risk in a lawsuit. The whole mess reminds me of the nuclear Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) standoff during the Cold War, pulling the trigger would be suicide.

Linus had it right, this is more FUD, the default defense, until Micro$oft can come up with a better counter to FOSS systems. Micro$oft learned FUD from IBM, the undisputed master, it is time for them to learn something else, like how to compete on features and customer utility.