This article on Slashdot has confirmed my views on what sort of company Microsoft is. Seems that Steve Ballmer simply won’t dismiss the idea of suing “GNU/Linux for infringement of several trivial but fundamental patents that Microsoft holds”, which by the way, includes a patent for the double click!

Apart from the fact that United States patent system is worthless at best, this development also shows how low Microsoft is willing to go just to gain an advantage over the free software movement. They know they can’t beat us, they’re just trying diversionary tactics; a typical business response.

The comments on /. are rather interesting: Assuming they even begin to sue “GNU/Linux”, where do they begin? Linus Torvalds? Richard Stallman? Or the guy who works for IBM but submitted a critical patch to the kernel yesterday? Given the amount of money the company has, I won’t be surprised if they go after each and every one of them. Kind of like what the RIAA is doing against the “file-sharers”.

Somewhere on the Internet: “Microsoft gives you Windows, Linux gives you the whole house!”

-1 to M$. Again.