Behind the scenes of Microsoft's ongoing patent war against Linux

"Linux is different, you see. Open source, as Microsoft is starting to recognize, is just another part of its ecosystem, one that it must support if it wants Windows to continue to be a first-class computing citizen.

"Linux, however, is competition; Microsoft's top competition, if Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's words are to be taken at face value. Linux is war.

"In this context, Microsoft's recent patent deal with Brother makes sense. Otherwise, as ZDNet opines, it's a deal that causes much head-scratching:

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