Novell's policies

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Novell's policies
by The Badger on Wednesday 06/Feb/2008, @08:28

Well, Novell once displayed a "not too specific, but not immediately evil" policy with respect to software patents:

http://www.novell.com/company/policies/patent/
http://www.novell.com/company/policies/patent/european.html

Although they didn't seem to be that bothered to really oppose moves towards patentability of software at that point.

Really, Novell haven't done enough to shake off the bad reputation they've acquired. On the one hand you have stuff like this:

http://www.eff.org/press/releases/2007/05
http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/about_members.php

On the other, you have stuff like this:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/nov06/11-02MSNovellPR.mspx

Perhaps the latter was just an easy money transaction, but like the situation involving recent events with a certain company and their acquisition, being seen with the wrong kind of people can really damage credibility. At least, depending on various difficult-to-predict factors like the weather and Novell's bottom line, Novell can be credited with a certain amount of goodwill from the community - a lot more that can be said for a certain Finnish organisation...

http://eupat.ffii.org/papers/europarl0309/nokia0404/index.en.html

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Re: Novell's policies
by T. J. Brumfield on Wednesday 06/Feb/2008, @09:44

The Novell MS deal was announced as a means to work cross-platform between the two companies, and yet they aren't doing that in the least.

Novell got a pay day, and a reprieve from possible litigation.

MS got a bargaining chip to hang over everyone else's heads. Look Novell paid to license patents, and anyone else who hasn't might be sued! This deal was classic FUD.

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Re: Novell's policies
by blacky on Wednesday 06/Feb/2008, @10:01

ŤThe Novell MS deal was announced as a means to work cross-platform between the two companies, and yet they aren't doing that in the least.ť

From some talking with a few OpenOffice Novell developers, it does seem like there is cooperation. Both in the support of Office Open XML, and in the Windows OO.o builds.

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Re: Novell's policies
by JRT on Wednesday 06/Feb/2008, @20:54

The missing piece of the Novell puzzle is the WordPerfect suit. Prior to the deal with MS, Novell was still persuing legal action regarding the illegal restraint of trade by MS in connection with WordPerfect (as documented in the US vs. MS). I have not been able to find any information regarding the current status of this lawsuit.

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Re: Novell's policies
by elsewhere on Thursday 07/Feb/2008, @13:05

>>I have not been able to find any information regarding the current status of this lawsuit.

Then you haven't really looked hard enough, google is your friend.

A couple of weeks ago MS filed a petition with the Supreme Court to have the lawsuit quashed, the story was carried in much of the tech media. A response from the court is due Feb 11.

Novell specifically stated at the time of the MS/Novell deal that the Wordperfect lawsuit would continue and was specifically excluded from the agreement.

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Re: Novell's policies
by JRT on Thursday 07/Feb/2008, @23:53

Thanks. I'v been busy being ill. I get CW & ET email news letters, but I must have missed it.

Yes, I read that it would continue at the time of the deal, and then it dropped off the radar.

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Re: Novell's policies
by S on Friday 08/Feb/2008, @10:08

Agreed. They didn't even make NTFS file support. The open source world did.

Also is it just me, or did they quietly kill XEN - virtualization off. (doesn't Microsoft have a similar product?? *I wonder*)

I haven't really seen any obvious benefit from the deal. To either parties really.

Life support for Novell? That's all I can think about.

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