Well, seeing as I was on the subject of them anyway…did you know that they are contemplating suing folks who use Open Office software? Oh yeah, really.
This excerpt posted by Robert McMillan, IDG News Service:
“Microsoft this week said that is looking for ways to work more closely with developers of the Open Office open source project, while at the same time, apparently reserving the right to sue them, according to a legal agreement between Microsoft and Open Office’s major sponsor, Sun Microsystems, made public this week.
The agreement in question was signed in April of this year as part of Sun and Microsoft’s landmark multibillion dollar settlement. It was released as part of Sun’s annual U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings this week.
The April agreement says that Microsoft can seek damages from Open Office users or distributors for any copy of Open Office installed after April 1, 2004. However, users of Sun’s commercial distribution of Open Office, called StarOffice, are protected from legal liabilities under the agreement, says Russ Castronovo, a spokesperson for Sun.
Open Office includes a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation software based on technology Sun acquired in its 1999 purchase of Germany’s Star Division. Sun released the code under an open-source license in 2000.”
More on this story can be found here.
Face it, Microsoft just can’t handle any competition. Shoot, they acquired more software, apps and other items of interest claiming it as their own invention than any other business out there to date. Anything that they deemed a competitive venture, potentially or not, they acquired. Sort of like Al Gore inventing the internet.
Now all users of Open Office will operate in fear of being sued by the software giant just because they obtained a copy of a darn good application for free. That’s the true meaning of Microsoft’s issue here. OO is free! Microsoft’s clunky application? Several hundred dollars!
I say let ‘em try and sue! I don’t use their OS (operating system) anyway (due to all the bugs, bloat and it’s high cost) as I prefer Linux for it’s ease of use, security and no cost. It’s my computer, I built it to what it is today and I think I can decide for myself what software to run on it without Redmond’s assistance.
You know, it sort of sounds like the big kid on the block just don’t like it when people play with other toys besides theirs. They can’t stand it. Too bad.
What office software do you use? While you’re at it, what do you think of Microsoft’s threat of suing you if you don’t use their software? I mean, that’s what it boils down to isn’t it? Use mine not theirs?
