IDG News Service —
1. "Microsoft Demands Royalties for Open Source Software"
Linuxworld, May 14
"Hilf: Microsoft Won't Sue Over Royalties, for Now"
Linuxworld, May 17
Microsoft started the week off provoking ire among some in the open-source community, as well as widespread consternation and concern, when a Fortune magazine article quoted legal and intellectual property executives at the company saying it wants open-source software users to pay royalties on 235 of its patents. While providing that exact number, by the end of the week Microsoft still had not said which patents it has in mind, though General Counsel Brad Smith told Fortune the Linux kernel violates 42 Microsoft patents, and the Linux OS user interface violates 65 more, while Open Office violates 45, open-source e-mail applications infringe on 15, and other open-source software apps violate 68 patents. A couple of days later, Bill Hilf, Microsoft's general manager of platform strategy and director of open-source projects, reiterated that Microsoft doesn't intend to sue open-source developers or users for patent infringement, that its strategy remains the same, and it wants to "license and not litigate." The magazine article, he said, "spins it on the attack." However, some in the open-source community continued to express concern and skepticism.
2. "FAQ: The H-1B Battle Reaches the Boiling Point Again"
Computerworld, May 16
Multiple bills calling for a higher cap on H-1B visas for foreign workers have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate, with a separate bill calling for stricter visa enforcement provisions and providing U.S. employees with the first shot at tech-related job openings. The flurry of legislative activity was no surprise given that the 65,000 visa cap was hit the day that applications were first accepted last month. An additional 20,000 visas for foreign workers who have advanced degrees from U.S. universities also were quickly grabbed. So far, the Senate seems more inclined to raise the cap than does the House. Amid debate about the bills, Sens. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, and Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, asked the leading offshore services companies in India for information about their use of H-1B visas, setting off some vexation there and prompting a response from the leading IT association in India calling the matter a trade issue and not an immigration issue.
3. "Microsoft to Pay $6B for aQuantive "
CIO.com, May 18
Microsoft didn't waste much time taking a shot at rival Google's plan to buy DoubleClick for $3.1 billion, offering a hefty $6 billion to buy aQuantive, a digital marketing services agency, as a way to boost Microsoft's Internet advertising business. Speculation remains rife that Google wants to buy Yahoo. Time will tell if the deal announced this week is part of a bigger plan. Oh, wait. This is Microsoft we're talking about—time will tell where aQuantive fits as part of a bigger plan.
