2006/11/4, Harsh Busa harsh.busa@gmail.com:

i think its an excellent step taken by both ms and novell. finally its becoming a mature market.

tech market has always been about co-operative competition. interoperability is key to fostering growth of all platforms.

kudos to novell and ms

Atleast Bruce Perens and Eben Moglen does not seem to agree with you.

Novell-Microsoft: What They Aren't Telling You

Today Novell and Microsoft announced a partnership in which Microsoft has

made some unlikely-seeming promises regarding Linux. What aren't they telling you? First, you can be sure that Microsoft's not out to help a competitor. This announcement paves the way for Microsoft to implement significant control over commercial customer's use of Free Software. And it has significant negative implications for Open Source in general.

http://technocrat.net/d/2006/11/2/9945

See what Eben Moglen has to say about the possibility of GPL violation http://news.com.com/2061-10795_3-6132156.html

Microsoft is bragging in their press release that they found a way around the GPL by "using a covenant", probably a covenant not to sue, we'll have to see the details. Whatever way they do it, they are at least circumventing the spirit of the license, and possibly the letter. Shame on Novell for helping them do that. And doesn't this remind you why we need a GPL3.

I don't think that coupling the patent protection to a support contract would be any better - it's still about using the software, the GPL still covers that software.

http://technocrat.net/d/2006/11/2/9986

Regards Praveen

2006/11/4, krishnakant Mane researchbase@gmail.com:

well, is it a slow poison for gnu/linux? how much will microsoft really follow? krishnakant.

Couldn't resist sharing this :-)

So, this girl settles down on the couch with a convicted rapist for a kiss and cuddle. Later, she's found in the gutter, beaten and bleeding, sobbing "He seemed so nice, I thought he'd changed his ways......."

http://www.groklaw.net/comment.php?mode=display&sid=20061103073628401&am...

Cheers Praveen

2006/11/4, Mrugesh Karnik mrugeshkarnik@gmail.com:

Ah hello!

I'm really surprised no has bothered throwing this piece of meat into the doghouse yet. Maybe everyone is dumbstruck? Well, anyway, for the unknowing:

http://www.microsoft.com/interop/msnovellcollab/default.mspx http://www.novell.com/linux/microsoft/

Comments people?

More questions.... http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061107194320461

"I just realized the full significance. Novell here is stepping outside the line of fire and agreeing with Microsoft that *end users* are the ones that you must go after in any patent infringement dispute. Shades of SCOsource. Thanks for nothing, Novell. More questions: When were Novell SUSE customers asked if they wished Novell to negotiate a agreement with Microsoft on their behalf? When were Novell SUSE customers asked about the terms of said agreement? What consideration does Microsoft get from Novell's customers? Does negotiating this agreement on Novell's customers' behalf indicate that Novell assumed Power of Attorney for their customers in this matter? Did Novell truly represent the best interest of their customers using Power of Attorney? Can Novell legally assume Power of Attorney for their customers without a written grant? Do Novell customers have the ability to "opt-out" of this agreement? Is this agreement binding on customers? "

Who gave Novell rights to decide on behalf of you just because you happened to buy a Novell product?????

Regards Praveen