Windows users on average pay $21.50 to line the pockets of third party software developers such as Sun Microsystems, Novell and Alcatel-Lucent, according to a calculation by the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC).
The monies cover legal settlements that Microsoft inked with third party software developers for alleged patent infringements over the past three year. The SFLC in a posting on its website denounced that costs as a "patent tax".
The open source advocacy group provides free legal services to open source developers and is an outspoken opponent of software patents.
"If you run a computer using Windows, you're not just paying for the programmers who put the program together and the corporate operations that brought it to market. You're also paying a hidden tax of well over $20 that Microsoft has had to pay to other patent holders," the group stated.
View: Vnunet
The monies cover legal settlements that Microsoft inked with third party software developers for alleged patent infringements over the past three year. The SFLC in a posting on its website denounced that costs as a "patent tax".
The open source advocacy group provides free legal services to open source developers and is an outspoken opponent of software patents.
"If you run a computer using Windows, you're not just paying for the programmers who put the program together and the corporate operations that brought it to market. You're also paying a hidden tax of well over $20 that Microsoft has had to pay to other patent holders," the group stated.
View: Vnunet
you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. what else should a company do with its debt, ofcourse the consumer has to pay it. Don't like it, don't pay, nobody is forcing you
you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. what else should a company do with its debt, ofcourse the consumer has to pay it. Don't like it, don't pay, nobody is forcing you
Oh dont worry about me. Havent given them a cent since win2k.
I mean you make it sound like the great and benevolent Microsoft is beset on all sides by the vicious wolves that comprise their competitors -- i.e., the rest of the software industry.
You know MS has just as many or more patents, trademarks and copyrights for which people have to pay THEM, fair is fair.
Most of the companies that stole millions from MS didn't invent anything.
Remember active web content, mp3, jpeg, lzw, and many other ridiculou lawsuits.
Remember Adobe which threatened to sue MS if the will provide a way to export to PDF for free? Yes! They required MS to charge for it!
etc etc etc
Even FreeSoftwareFoundation recently showed they are no less evil than MS.
Most of the companies that stole millions from MS didn't invent anything.
Yes, because Sun didn't "invent" Java (originally Oak), Frauenhofer didn't create
thea MP3 codec, Unisys didn't employ Lempel and Ziv (and anyway the GIF patent expired worldwide), Forgent (through the Joint Photographics Experts Group) didn't create the JPEG compression codec, Novell didn't create NetWare (and take over WordPerfect Corp), etc., etc.../sarcasm
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