Group Of Microsoft Rivals Nears Patent Deal

微软(Microsoft Corp.)近几年曾表示，使用Linux操作系统的公司可能侵犯了微软的专利。目前，为了避免任何可能不利于Linux应用的法律威胁，一个由微软竞争对手组成的组织将争取获得此前微软拥有的一批专利。Linux是一种免费的开源操作系统，它在与微软Windows软件争夺商业用户的竞争中取得了一席之地，特别是在公司内的大型后台电脑──服务器方面。Linux爱好者们说，这款免费软件比Windows安全；此外，由于源代码是向用户开放的，用户可以更容易对其进行个性化。这个组织表示，正接近达成协议，获得微软今年早些时候出售给另外一个机构的22项专利。尽管此事尚未在法庭上进行测试，这些专利可能与Linux操作系统有关。这个组织包括国际商业机器公司(IBM)Red Hat Inc.和索尼公司(Sony Corp)等支持这类开源软件的大公司。这个名为“开源发明网络”(Open Invention Network)的组织称，它们获得专利权将保护Linux用户避免巨额诉讼案──如果专利落入“专利流氓”手里，就可能出现诉讼麻烦。“专利流氓”这类组织通常不生产产品，它们的存在主要是为了从专利诉讼案及和解案中赚钱。这个组织说，接近与企业安全联盟(Allied Security Trust)签订协议，从后者获得专利。企业安全联盟购买专利，以便保护成员避免专利诉讼，为它们提供技术许可，然后在公开市场上出售专利。开源发明网络和企业安全联盟最早可能于本周宣布一项协议。企业安全联盟的成员中包括Verizon Communications Inc.思科系统(Cisco Systems Inc.)和惠普(Hewlett-Packard Co.)。企业安全联盟在微软主办的一次秘密拍卖中赢得了专利权。开源发明网络和企业安全联盟表示，双方的合作可以确保微软的专利不会落入“专利流氓”之手，避免一些非常支持Linux操作系统的公司遭受风险。开源发明网络首席执行长伯尔格特(Keith Bergelt)说，我们避免了这些专利被用于消极目的的可能。开源发明网络持有专利，并广泛地发放许可。交易的财务条款没有被披露。伯尔格特说，微软在拍卖中向潜在竞购者展示了与Linux有关的专利。一位微软高管拒绝透露公司是如何向竞购者描述专利的。微软出售专利之举是其应对Linux的行动中的一个新插曲。微软高管们此前曾说，他们相信在微软总计5万多项专利中，有200多项遭到了Linux软件的侵权。近几年，微软与数十家企业达成了专利许可协议。这些企业在其产品中发布或是使用开源软件。今年早些时候，微软采取更进一步的行动，向西雅图的联邦法院提交了起诉书，控告荷兰全球定位系统(GPS)生产商TomTom NV涉嫌侵犯了微软的Linux相关专利。TomTom的导航产品中使用了微软的Linux相关专利。该案是微软首次发起与Linux有关的行动，也是该公司迄今为止首次针对该软件的专利侵权指控。案件造成开放源代码支持者们的不安，他们担心微软可能在针对Linux用户发起一场大型法律攻势。微软和TomTom之后就此事达成和解，不过没有披露和解条款。微软知识产权许可业务总经理卡费尔(Dave Kaefer)驳斥了一些开源支持者指控微软意在通过出售专利扰乱Linux产品市场。他说，如果微软的目的在于干扰市场，它就不会向成员中包括Linux支持者的企业安全联盟出售专利了。卡费尔说，出售这些从硅谷图形公司(Silicon Graphics)获得的专利，原因是它们对微软不具有战略意义。他说，它们对我们未来的业务发展不重要。Nick Wingfield相关阅读谷歌与索尼就预装Chrome浏览器达成协议 2009-09-01微软下调Xbox 360游戏机价格 2009-08-28三种趋势可能助推谷歌股价 2009-08-26番茄花园盗版案四名被告获刑 2009-08-24 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年09月08日14:12', 'MSFT'));Microsoft Co.总部地点：美国上市地点：纳斯达克股票代码：MSFT


Microsoft Corp. has suggested in recent years that companies using the Linux computer-operating system might be violating Microsoft patents. Now, in an effort to avert any legal threat that might discourage the adoption of Linux, a group of Microsoft rivals is about to acquire a set of patents formerly owned by the software giant.Linux is a free open-source operating system that has gained ground against Microsoft's Windows software among business users, especially in servers, the big back-office computers inside companies. Linux's fans say the free software is more secure than Windows and, because its blueprint is open to users, can be more easily customized.The group, which includes major corporate supporters of such open-source software -- including International Business Machines Corp., Red Hat Inc. and Sony Corp. -- said it is nearing an agreement to acquire 22 patents that Microsoft sold to another organization earlier this year. Though the issue hasn't been tested in court, the patents may relate to Linux.The group, the Open Invention Network, argues that its acquisition will protect users of Linux software from expensive lawsuits that could result if the patents fell into the hands of 'patent trolls,' groups that don't typically make products and exist primarily to earn money from lawsuits and settlements in patent cases.The group said it is close to signing a deal to acquire the patents from Allied Security Trust. AST buys patents to protect its members from patent litigation, provides them with licenses to the technology, and then resells the patents on the open market. OIN and AST, whose members include Verizon Communications Inc., Cisco Systems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., could announce an agreement as early as this week.AST won control of the patents in a private auction held by Microsoft. OIN and AST said their cooperation ensures that the Microsoft patents won't end up with patent trolls, leaving some big boosters of Linux potentially exposed. 'We have averted a scenario where these patents can be used for negative purposes,' said Keith Bergelt, chief executive officer of OIN, which holds on to its patents and broadly licenses them.Financial terms of the deals aren't being disclosed.Mr. Bergelt said Microsoft presented the patents to potential bidders in its auction as relating to Linux. A Microsoft executive declined to say how the company described the patents to bidders.Microsoft's sale of the patents is a new twist in its approach to Linux. Microsoft executives have previously said that the company holds more than 200 patents, out of the company's total portfolio of more than 50,000 patents, that they believe are violated by Linux software. In recent years, Microsoft has entered into patent-licensing pacts with dozens of companies that distribute or use open-source software in their products.Earlier this year, Microsoft went a step further and filed a lawsuit in federal court in Seattle against the Dutch GPS device maker TomTom NV for allegedly violating Microsoft patents related to Linux, which were used in TomTom navigation products.That suit, Microsoft's first Linux-related action and its first-ever alleging infringement of a software patent -- caused a stir among open-source advocates who feared Microsoft might be mounting a major legal offensive against Linux users. Microsoft and TomTom subsequently settled the suit for undisclosed terms.Dave Kaefer, general manager for intellectual-property licensing at Microsoft, disputed allegations by some open-source advocates that the company intended to disrupt the market for Linux products with the sale of the patents, arguing that it wouldn't have sold the patents to AST, a firm whose members also include Linux boosters, if its goal had been disruption.Mr. Kaefer said the patents, acquired from Silicon Graphics, were sold because they weren't strategic to the company. 'They weren't important to our business going forward,' he said.Nick Wingfield