[mdlug] Linspire caves in to Microsoft patent threat

[Wolfger]

On 5/17/07, Michael Corral <micorral at comcast.net> wrote:
> You yourself described
> MS' claims as "FUD, FUD, FUD, FUDity FUD". Why is Linspire
> lending legitimacy to this FUD by offering to have their users
> pay that extortion payment? There is no need to if it's FUD.

Linspire has no control over whether or not anybody believes the FUD,
and they wish to make money, even off the FUDdites. I think it's a
sound business decision. Far better than what Novell did.

> Actually, this whole discussion about Linspire being a business
> has made me look at this from a whole new angle. I had been just
> chalking Linspire's decision up to plain cowardice, but now I'm
> starting to think that greed may be involved.

Well duh. :-D

> Linspire will
> actually be able to *profit* off this Microsoft FUD. That's
> something I hadn't even considered before. It's just too bad
> that their profit will come at their users' expense.

As long as they stick to what they said, and offer users that
*choice*, I'm okay with that. If they follow the Novell path and make
paying MicroSoft their extortion money a requirement, then I wouldn't
be okay with that. I think the main difference in our opinions is that
you think they've already taken that route, whereas I read their
statement and infer that they have not.

-- 
Wolfger
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