Novell Head: We Never Said Microsoft Has Claim on Linux
Just weeks after its controversial patent cooperation agreement with Microsoft, Novell is hitting out at statements made by Microsoft executives that the deal acknowledges that Linux infringes on its intellectual property.
Novell has been under fire from many members of the Linux and open-source community since entering into a set of broad collaboration agreements with Microsoft to build, market and support a series of new solutions that will make Novell and Microsoft products work better together, including providing each other’s customers with patent coverage for their respective products.
Recent statements from Microsoft officials such as CEO Steve Ballmer that the deal effectively acknowledges that Linux infringes on his company’s intellectual property have exacerbated these criticisms from the open-source community.