Microsoft will not sue Linux

If you have been follow the news, last Monday Microsoft hit a nerve when it announced in Fortune magazine on that Linux and other open-source software infringed on 235 of the company's patents. Microsoft cut a licensing deal with Novell last November to resolve intellectual property claims. Monday's announcement has made other members of the Open Source community a little on edge -- or even hostile.

Bill Hilf, general manager of platform strategy and director of Microsoft's work with open-source projects, spoke with the IDG News Service on the effects of the declaration on the open-source community. In the interview Hilf stated that the Fortune magazine article was blown a little out of proportion.

I said again, "Don't look at Fortune magazine as the manifestation of the Microsoft strategy." It's the same strategy we've had. I think [the effects of the story] will be short term as people realize that it looks like Microsoft is on the attack. I think longer term it will be fine and the work will continue on.

... What we heard back after the Novell deal was "Give us more transparency. You say that there is IP involved, give us an understanding of what that is." So the attempt was that if we give a number and category of where these things fall, maybe that will help people get an idea of the scope. We are very much calling out to commercial companies to license this stuff and resolve these issues. This isn't like a trivial invention. There are a couple hundred significant patents here.

An edited transcript of the interview can be found at Computerworld.