2004-07-19 US HP Memo forecasts MS patent attacks on free software

--> [ deutsch ] [ News | Microsoft | MS patents directed against OSS ]

• 2004-07-27 UK PcPro: Aharonian, Perens on HP Memo

• 2004-07-26 US Network World Fusion: HP memo warned of Microsoft assault on open source

• Newsforge Publication

• Slashdot discussion

• Groklaw story

Gary Campbell, an executive of HP, upon conclusion of a patent cross-licensing agreement with Microsoft, writes that attacks of Microsoft on free software are to be expected soon and proposes a set of measures to be taken by HP, including some degree of disengagement from opensource software.

This "Campbell memo" surfaced this weekend, but it is already two years old. Microsoft has meanwhile been engaging in a patent-application frenzy together with buildup of a patent licensing program. Attack on free software have still not been carried out on the massive scale anticipated by the Campbell memo.

Commentators write that the attacks may have been put off because MS is in the middle of building up a "reasonable and non-discriminatory" licensing program and waiting for acceptance of this program by antitrust authorities and for the EU to rubberstamp the European Patent Office's practise by the means of its software patent directive.