Microsoft to demand royalties from open-source software users?

Microsoft to demand royalties from open-source software users?

Software giants Microsoft has announced that as per their findings open-source software, including Linux, violates 235 Microsoft patents.

This was revealed in a statement by Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, and Horacio Gutierrez, the company’s vice president of intellectual property and licensing.

The report further claimed that the company now aims to demand royalties for these violations from distributors and users of open-source software.

Gutierrez was quoted as saying: “This is not a case of some accidental, unknowing infringement. …There is an overwhelming number of patents being infringed.”

As per the information made available by the company, they believe that Linux kernel violates 42 patents and the operating system’s user interface violates a further 65. Microsoft is further claiming that Open Office application suite violates 45 patents and open-source e-mail applications infringe on 15 more.