[CS-FSLUG] Novell Deals Done

[Fred A. Miller]

Directly speaking, Microsoft, with the help of its partners, Apple, EMC,
and Oracle, in the CPTN Group
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/novells-patents-bought-by-microsoft-apple-emc-oracle/7975>
has not, though, actually bought Novell's patents as most people would
understand the word "bought." Instead, CPTN was forced, by the U.S.
Department of Justice and the German Federal Cartel Office to re-sell
the patents back to Attachmate
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-backed-cptn-alters-novell-patent-acquisition-terms-to-appease-antitrust-authorities/9250>.
In return, the CPTN gets licensing rights to use the patents.

For Microsoft and friends, the most vexing part of the deal is that All
of the Novell patents will be subject to the GNU General Public License,
Version 2 (GPLv2) and the Open Invention Network (OIN)patent-pool
agreements
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/microsoft-gets-novells-patents-rights-but-must-share-them-with-open-source-software/8713>.
In other words, Microsoft can't use these patents against Linux or other
open-source programs.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/novell-deals-done/8755

-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown

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