This environment is also causing issue with the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) model. FOSS is basically software that is unencumbered by restrictive licensing stipulations. You may change, copy, redistribute, or use the software for whatever you wish (commercial, noncommercial applications). The only real restriction is that you must give these same rights to whomever you redistribute the software to, fair enough. A couple of examples of great FOSS is the GNU/Linux operation system and the OpenOffice.org office suite, there are thousands more. The one thing that stands out with this software is that it can be copied and freely redistributed to any number of people, no restrictions. Obviously, companies like Microsoft, that make their money selling software, do not care much for the spread of FOSS and it is a direct (and free!) competitor to their offerings. Enter the patent war chest. Microsoft is claiming that Linux, among other FOSS projects (including OpenOffice) is infringing on 235 of their patents. Of course, they refuse to say which patents, but it's 235 nonetheless. This is just another way for them to spread FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) regarding FOSS, effectively keeping its legal status questionable among those that would use it.
Many companies that would otherwise use FOSS are scared away from it because of this legal uncertainty that is only pushed along by the larger proprietary software vendors such as Microsoft. They do not want mainstream businesses using free software and are more then happy to use patents as a way of maintaining their monopoly. This is the complete opposite of what the patent system was created to do. Innovation is stifled and the consumer looses out.
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