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IP firms like Microsoft may or may not want to destroy FOSS as some claim. The emerging picture is that Microsoft has grown to accept it cannot eliminate FOSS entirely from the technology ecosystem and is now reaching out to segments of the FOSS community. This is good to see. If Microsoft strove to or became successful in destroying FOSS, even as a defender of IPRs, I believe such developments would be injurious to the technology industry.
FOSS on the other hand, at least the religious camps, is still going strong with the Microsoft hating.
Now there is nothing wrong with trying eliminate a competitor, that is, unless it becomes your end-all goal. Such has been the consistent practice of FOSS fanatics as the FSF, which often find themselves no better off. They might as well stand up and yell: "but its not fair, we've been at this for years." Contrast the FSF's slow progression with Microsoft's efforts at working with various FOSS entities and recognizing them as important partners.
In a recent interview, Bill Hilf, Microsoft GM for Platform Strategy, communicated some of Microsoft's motivations in working with FOSS: Microsoft does not compete with open source. We compete with open-source products that people sell. When we did the deal with JBoss... we found a few interesting stats. Half of their users were running on Windows. We also found after we did the deal, we sold more Windows server licenses. That's just fundamental good business. So when we get into the competitive debate, JBoss helped our Windows server business grow. Of course, since the term "good business" suggests Microsoft finds commercial self-interest in buddying-up with FOSS, rather than ascribing to Stallman's religious doctrines, FOSS zealots, while clamouring about "freedom" and fighting all forms of coercion, undoubtedly are unhappy and want to control Microsoft's incentive values. This is quite surprising, given that the majority of Linux corporate sponsors and customers are businesses in the profit making world who more readily understand Microsoft's thinking than the FSF's.
Microsoft sees FOSS as an important part of the technological environment, whose development model can facillitate collaboration and innovation. This view is consistent with perspectives from industry, such as that held by IBM, and academia, from scholars like Professor Henry Chesbrough. There remain several differences between Microsoft and others regarding FOSS however. Microsoft has integrated its views on FOSS and IPRs into a (somewhat) unitary policy position compared to most *FOSS friendly IP firms*, yet, still faces more opposition from various FOSS camps than firms that, in reality, merely give off a lot of PR-candy.
posted by Noel Le @ 1:11 PM | Free Culture Movement
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