Friends of the Family

With Linux distributor Linspire’s recent announcement of its new arrangement with Microsoft, I thought it would be a good time to take a step back and consider what these deals mean for Linux and the free software community in general.

First, though, a refresher. The following companies have already signed up with Microsoft’s protection program. If I’ve forgotten anyone, please let me know.

You may have noticed that I’ve taken the liberty of updating the Linspire logo to better fit its peers.

Now, these three companies, by agreeing to pay protection money to Microsoft, are essentially legitimising its — as yet completely unfounded — claims that Linux and various other free software violates its IP rights. While (as I understand) these deals pose no legal threat, that’s far from the point.

Microsoft have already clearly stated that they don’t intend to sue anyone over the use or distribution of Linux. Admittedly this isn’t a promise not to sue in future, but in combination with their refusal to date to substantiate their claims in any way, I think it’s safe to say the whole thing is no more than FUD.

What’s the big deal, then, you ask? Well, the problem is that FUD works. Microsoft are (or at least should be) terrified of Linux and other free software offerings winning even more of the desktop and server markets. Free options are only getting better, and in recent years Microsoft have been hard-pressed to produce anything even remotely innovative.

Their only viable option now seems to be to scare companies and end users away from using Linux, and pretending that the open source community has somehow wronged them is a good step in that direction. Saying they don’t yet have any plans to start suing people — but not ruling out the possibility — is another. This wouldn’t be as much of a problem if the insignificance of their claims was more widely understood. In the unlikely event that Microsoft could produce a single valid patent genuinely violated by Linux, the ever-vigilant kernel maintainers could write around the problem in mere hours. This is why Microsoft don’t want to name specific patents; they know their claims are bunk. What they want is to maintain a general feeling of suspicion of the world outside Microsoft to keep people from venturing too far from the flock.

So what role do these protection deals play in all this? Well, from where I’m standing, they appear to be serving a dual purpose: maintain the FUD, and keep the tributes coming in. These tributes aren’t just because Microsoft are greedy. Oh, don’t get me wrong: Microsoft are greedy, but I dare say it’s even more important for them to remind each of their new so-called “partners” that they are — for lack of a better term — Microsoft’s bitch. And who knows: if enough companies show the same pathetic submission, then a lot of otherwise sensible people might start believing Microsoft’s claims!

Personally, I’m still hoping the heavy use of inverted commas around the word “better” in Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony’s letter on the topic is a cryptic indication that this is all actually an elaborate hoax. But if that’s the case, then really, Kevin: surely you know even joking about this can’t be good for business!