The 200 Pound Gorilla Growls Again

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is at it again with the patent claims and typical FUD. When done with those he continues with vitriolic comments about Red Hat, their patent violations, and how it will have to pay up.

Someone needs to silence this idiot.

Any time the FUD dies down, and some small feeling of good will is attributed to Microsoft, Mr. Ballmer starts his ranting, like Tom Cruise on Oprah’s divan. The man has no clue as to how to successfully court the press, and antagonizes almost everyone he meets in public settings.

from VNU Net in the U.K. -

“‘People who use Red Hat, at least with respect to our intellectual property, in a sense have an obligation to compensate us,’ Ballmer said last week at a company event in London discussing online services in the UK.”

Red Hat has said that it is not opposed to working towards interoperability with Microsoft, so why Ballmer must make empty threats to gain a partner is ludicrous, and unproductive. Someone simply must tell this man the fable about flies, honey, and vinegar.

In another part of the conversation, Mr. Ballmer makes further statement that seems incredulous after the earlier statements -

“I would love to see all Open Source innovation happen on top of Windows. So we’ve done a lot to encourage, for example, the team building, PHP, the team building, many of the other Open Source components, I’d love to see those sorts of innovations proceed very successfully on top of Windows.”

What self absorbed world is this man living in? He wants open source (lack of caps purposely done) to use Windows as a stepping stone? Why? Yes, after everyone has paid tribute to Microsoft, they can go merrily on their way with free and open software. How nice for his portfolio.

If Microsoft does indeed have enforceable patents, then it should get them enforced and be done with it. Otherwise, all of the big players (because they are the only ones Microsoft is hoping to extort money from) should band together, get their legal ducks in a row, and announce to Microsoft, “Bring it.”

[tags] Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, CEO, Tom Cruise, Oprah, Red Hat, Linux, patent infringement [/tags]