Red Hat, Novell Win Open Source Patent Case

[ Thanks to James Maguire for this link. ]

"Think you can scare Linux vendors into submission with a patent challenge? Think again. Linux vendors Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL) and Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) have won a patent verdict in a Texas jury trial.

"In an October 2007 lawsuit, intellectual property firm IP Innovation LLC had claimed that the Linux vendors were infringing on its U.S. Patent No. 5,072,412, which describes a "User Interface with Multiple Workspaces for Sharing Display System Objects." The company had been seeking damages "in no event less than a reasonable royalty."

"However, the jury in the trial found that patents were, in fact, invalid.

"For Linux's supporters, the win is a proof point that open source OS vendors can work together on legal issues and face down patent lawsuits."

Complete Story

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