[Samba] Re: [expert] Microsoft - The settlement that isn't

[Charles Marcus]

> From: samba-admin at lists.samba.org
> [mailto:samba-admin at lists.samba.org]On
> Behalf Of David Brodbeck
> Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 2:55 PM
> To: vda at port.imtp.ilyichevsk.odessa.ua
> Cc: James Davis; 'David Rankin'; expert at linux-mandrake.com; Samba
> Subject: Re: [Samba] Re: [expert] Microsoft - The settlement
> that isn't
>
> Not really.  Microsoft's patent license wording apparently bans all
> open-source licenses, GPL just happens to be the only one they mention
> specifically.
>
> This has me really concerned.

Actually, I think it would be M$'s death if they really did try to force this.
It would most definitely solidify the wall between OSS and M$ s/w.

I can also say this...

I have never considered myself 'anti-M$' - and I know many others that are
like me.  We use M$ products, and we use Linux, and we use whatever tools are
the best for the job (or the tools that our bosses force us to use), but I can
guarantee you one thing:

If M$ does this, it will push the vast majority of people like me directly and
fully into the Linux/OSS camp, and I will be as bad or worse than any of the
anti-M$ crowd I have ever encountered in the past.

I think it is possible that if they do this, it will be the worst mistake they
ever made, and the best thing that could happen for OSS.

Any of our users that *had* to have M$, would have to bring their own license
of an older version (Win9x it loks like) that will still work with Samba, and
the rest of M$ products can just go to hell.

Charles