[lug] MS: Open Source threatens American Way

[Neal McBurnett]

Microsoft's Allchin is proclaiming that Open Source threatens the
American Way and hurts the "intellectual-property business".  I don't
know what he means by the "intellectual-property business" but if the
goal is not some useful product, but rather just turning ideas into
property, it sounds like a big drain on productivity and innovation
all by itself.  And I've heard that a lot of corporate patent
departments are just like that....

How long before Microsoft starts suing Linux folks for infringing some
foolish patent?

In his own words:
http://news.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-4825719-RHAT.html

 Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating-system chief, Jim Allchin, says
 that freely distributed software code such as rival Linux could
 stifle innovation and that legislators need to understand the threat.

 Linux is developed in a so-called open-source environment in which
 the software code generally isn't owned by any one company. That, as
 well as programs such as music-sharing software from Napster Inc.,
 means the world's largest software maker has to do a better job of
 talking to policymakers, he said.

 ''Open source is an intellectual-property destroyer,'' Allchin
 said. ''I can't imagine something that could be worse than this for
 the software business and the intellectual-property business.''

 'I'm an American, I believe in the American Way,'' he said. ''I worry
 if the government encourages open source, and I don't think we've
 done enough education of policy makers to understand the threat.''


Some quotes from /.:
http://slashdot.org/articles/01/02/15/1825221.shtml

 Oh, like Amish barn raisings should be declared illegal because they
 threaten the innovation of contractors across our great land.

 Scientists have been relying on others' work all along, "standing on
 the shoulders of giants" in order to make the next innovative step.

I think it is time to start talking to our legislators also.  Anyone
if any of Colorado's elected officials have a clue or how they stand?

Sigh,

Neal McBurnett <neal at bcn.boulder.co.us>  303-538-4852
http://bcn.boulder.co.us/~neal/      (with GPG/PGP keys)