Ballmer Threatens Linux and Open Source with Patents Again

Published: Oct 9, 2007
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
1 minute read
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At a small meeting of Web 2.0 developers and partners on Oct. 1 at Microsofts London office, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer once more attacked Linux and open source for violating Microsofts patents.

The meeting was a Microsoft-sponsored event: the UK Microsoft Startup Accelerator Programme launch event called The Online Opportunity.

According to Lars Lindstedt, who heads up Microsofts UK Software Economy and Emerging Business programme, “The intention was to bring together some of the UKs brightest developers, entrepreneurs and investors who are working in the Web 2.0 space.”

In the meetings question and answer session, Ballmer took shots at Google (“They read your mail, we dont. Thats not pejorative, thats just a fact.”) as well as Linux and open source.

To continue reading this article by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols at Linux-Watch, go here.

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Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

I'm editor-at-large for Ziff Davis Enterprise. That's a fancy title that means I write about whatever topic strikes my fancy or needs written about across the Ziff Davis Enterprise family of publications. You'll find most of my stories in Linux-Watch, DesktopLinux and eWEEK. Prior to becoming a technology journalist, I worked at NASA and the Department of Defense on numerous major technological projects.

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