Microsoft's secret deals on open source

"This time, the lucky donor of cash for secrets is Brother, which will now be allowed to use Microsoft patents to make printers. As Microsoft doesn't make printers -- indeed, doesn't even make printer drivers -- it is an interesting exercise to try and guess what's actually happened. It's fruitless to ask either of the companies -- and we did try. In cases like this, as in the best gangster movies, nobody ain't sayin' nothin'.

"Patents, you might remember, are designed to encourage innovation by the disclosure of information: when a $1.8bn company pays a $230bn company a secret amount for secret rights to a secret list of patents -- something else is going on than the open promotion of innovation and "a healthy and vibrant IT ecosystem."

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