[Discussioni] Minacce Microsoft ai governi asiatici

[Roberto Marchioro]

Microsoft 'warns of Linux claims'
Microsoft has reportedly told Asian governments that they could face 
intellectual property rights claims if they use free software such as Linux.

Reuters said chief executive Steve Ballmer told Asian leaders Linux 
violated at least 228 patents. The Linux community disputes these claims.

Mr Ballmer said countries using Linux which entered the World Trade 
Organisation would be at risk.

Several companies have been threatened with lawsuits for using Linux.

US firm SCO, the company behind the suits, says Linux includes some code 
to which it owns rights, although the firm is losing its financial 
backers and has been reluctant to show any proof of its claims.

Switching

Mr Ballmer was speaking at a meeting of Microsoft's Asian Government 
Leaders Forum in Singapore.

He also said that security fears over the use of Microsoft software were 
overblown.

"We think our software is far more secure. It is more secure because we 
stand by it, we fixed it, because we built it. Nobody ever knows who 
built open-source software," he said.

Open-code software such as Linux is freely available on the internet and 
easily modified by users.

Singapore's Ministry of Defence recently switched 20,000 of its personal 
computers from Microsoft's operating platform to open-source software.

China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to work together and develop an 
Asian version of Linux.

The German city of Munich has decided to switch 14,000 of its personal 
computers to a Linux-based operating system and Paris is said to have 
considered a similar move.

The popularity of open-source programs such as Linux, which are 
essentially free, have grown as firms and countries look to cut costs 
and limit their dependence on software producers.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, has the most to lose 
should Linux use spread.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/4021775.stm

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