Linux users aren't afraid of Microsoft's patents

In the wake of the unveiling of 235 Microsoft patents that Linux allegedly infringes on, we've seen a lot of heated responses, most of them expressing skepticism as to whether Microsoft will actually take open-source users to court and questioning the company's motives. The consensus on the web seems to be that this is more of a marketing move than a legal one: in the face of underwhelming Vista sales, the company has decided to coerce enterprises using fear, uncertainty and doubt. After all, if Microsoft was really interested in litigation, wouldn't it have simply served up subpoenas or at the very least, announced exactly which patents Linux violates? "I think it's as much a marketing move as anything else," Mark Wine, an IP lawyer and partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Los Angeles said. "If you're really serious, you sit down and have a discussion, and you tell [open-source users] which patents, or you sue them." Open-source vendors don't seem too worried either. "Our confidence in our technology and protections for customers remains strong and has not wavered," Linux distributor Red Hat said in a statement.

For more analysis:
- see this ComputerWorld article

And for reactions from industry professionals:
- see this article