Steve Ballmer says "Linux stole our IP"

Author: Brett Thomas
Published: 17th November 2006
Comments (13) Stumble
Steve Ballmer says "Linux stole our IP"

"We had it first!" - Ballmer makes it sound like a big part of the Novell deal was the $40m for "patent infringement."

Everyone who was a skeptic about Microsoft's open-source intentions got another reason to doubt today.

Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, gave a keynote speech yesterday at the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) conference in Seattle. While he was there, a reporter asked him about the recent deal with Novell and the potential partnership that could be developing. In response, Mr. Ballmer told reporters about his interpretation of why MS made that deal - and what he had to say wasn't pretty.

Ballmer didn't really talk at all about interoperability or building better products - instead, it was much more about the $40m that Novell had to pay Microsoft. These payments are to cover for the fact that "Linux uses our intellectual property." Apparently, he wanted to "get the economic return for our shareholders from our innovation." Of course, Ballmer stopped providing any useful information at that point, instead switching to accounting talk of "off balance sheet liabilities" for every SUSE Linux user if Novell hadn't entered the deal.

If people in the open-source community were skeptical before, they will be more so now. Microsoft has leveled the "IP" complaint many times, but has never once explained exactly what intellectual property that Linux has stolen. Even in reporting of the deal, the $40m has never been associated with patent infringements. Comments like this end up sounding like vengeful rhetoric, particularly when one weighs in the $440m that Microsoft is paying Novell in the very same deal for "support." Such statements don't go very far to win the trust of a community that didn't really believe you to start with...

Personally, I'm of the mind that the man is like a PR black hole; and, much more often than not, his statements come across horribly. How can we forget his adamant declaration that his children are not allowed to own such things as iPods? Unfortunately, this time he just gave millions of potential users another reason to doubt, and instead stick to their competing product.

Could this be the sign of a good deal looking to go bad due to ego? Or was it just a bad choice of focus for Ballmer to reply with? What do you think of it? Tell us in our forums.
Quote Lazarus Dark 17th November 2006, 17:08
sour grapes.
hes just mad cause he knows linux will make his job obsolete before he's ready to retire.
Quote Tyinsar 17th November 2006, 18:19
The only thing that surprises me is the size of blinders he must be wearing. How many of MS's "innovations" existed in others OSs (right back to CP/M, Mac, Unix, OS/2) before M$ used them? I'm still dabbling with Linux but from what I see there's a LOT more innovation going on there (mostly due to the OPEN source nature).

Maybe MS should buy Symantec - they don't play well with others either.

"A partner is what you call someone before you back-stab them and take their stuff" - Grand Nagus Steve

Also see rules 21, 47, 48, 76, 242, 263 here
Quote zoom314 18th November 2006, 01:35
Well It looked good, Of course Ballmer is being balmy now, Lets see how this shapes up, MS took on a major player It looks like. I was hoping for something better, Not bitter. MS must be really scared of Linux and the Penquin. Sounds like someone needs a bat for their bellfry. ;)

If MS can sue the Linux OS then, Who's next Apple? :o
Quote Nikumba 18th November 2006, 12:23
I have used both Linux and MS products and Linux will not replace windows on the desktop for years to come. It is in my opioin still too geeky/elitist.

The fact it will also cost more for a company to hire linux trained guys than window trained guys.

I will agree Linux in the server environment is good, we use it as our mail platform, but for other things I dont like it for DNS/DHCP Windows is still best at the graphical mangemnt of those services, and Im sure Linux is just as capable but it lacks the GUI that we all like.

Kimbie
Quote eddtox 18th November 2006, 17:28
Is it just me, or is MS getting desperate. I think they smell competition and they are determined to take it out ANY WAY THEY CAN. I also happen to think that if MS had any evidence which would hold up in court they would have used it long ago. I was starting to think that MS is getting nicer. I was obviously wrong. They are still the evil, moneygrabbing bas***** we know and hate. They don't seem to care that linux is aiding the evolution of IT as an industry.

IMHO

-ed out
Quote zoom314 18th November 2006, 17:44
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddtox
Is it just me, or is MS getting desperate. I think they smell competition and they are determined to take it out ANY WAY THEY CAN. I also happen to think that if MS had any evidence which would hold up in court they would have used it long ago. I was starting to think that MS is getting nicer. I was obviously wrong. They are still the evil, moneygrabbing bas***** we know and hate. They don't seem to care that linux is aiding the evolution of IT as an industry.

IMHO

-ed out

I agree, Just when I thought MS was going to play nice without Bill at the Helm and Balmer goes off the deep end, He's just plain NUTS.
Quote Bindibadgi 18th November 2006, 18:36
Good business managers know you don't give the competition ANY leeway to maximise your profits and to keep market share. It's all about the shareholders at the end of the day.
Quote eddtox 18th November 2006, 19:16
@Bindibadgi: I suppose it comes back down to the whole "business ethics" debate...

-ed out
Quote Bindibadgi 18th November 2006, 19:46
And business ethics comes down to what will people put up with. If you can get away with it, if nobody cares, then even in the general scheme of things it's morally or ethically questionable but makes you money, you do it. Most major businesses and sucessful businesses get to where they are by being ruthless.
Quote eddtox 18th November 2006, 20:21
Which is why I feel the need to speak out against it and urge other people to do the same.

-ed out
Quote Glider 19th November 2006, 12:53
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikumba
I will agree Linux in the server environment is good, we use it as our mail platform, but for other things I dont like it for DNS/DHCP Windows is still best at the graphical mangemnt of those services, and Im sure Linux is just as capable but it lacks the GUI that we all like.
If you every tried something like IPCop you'd know how much a fool you are making of yourself by saying this...

OT: I allways tought MS stole TCP/IP from BSD, but I'm not sure where I found that...
Quote AJB2K3 19th November 2006, 13:22
IIRC, didn't MS steal most of windows ideas from an earler os?
I bet some of vista was stolen from linux , Firefox's tabs anyone?
Quote Cthippo 20th November 2006, 23:42
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyinsar
"A partner is what you call someone before you back-stab them and take their stuff" - Grand Nagus Steve

They appearently used that line of reasoning with "plays for sure"
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