Experts Say Microsoft’s Patent Quest Won’t Go Far

“Microsoft’s accusation that the open-source software industry
has infringed 235 Microsoft patents has spotlighted a difficult
issue: how aggressively should a company police itself for patent
violations?

“Microsoft said it released the tally–though not the 235
specific patents–in an effort to bring open-source companies to
the table to hammer out intellectual property licensing deals
similar to the one struck by Linux seller Novell in 2006. But
industry experts said the declaration’s implicit demand–that
companies with open-source software should figure out what
Microsoft patents they’re infringing and come to the negotiating
table–is unrealistic at best…”

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