Tags: Linux, Microsoft, Red Hat, Ubuntu

Red Hat talked with Microsoft on a patent agreement

Linux company Red Hat has confirmed that they were in talks with the software giant Microsoft over patent agreement deals.

However, the talks broke down in between after Microsoft announced a deal with Novell which is one of the major rivals of Red Hat in the Linux market.

Red Hat as a result is now one of the few remaining leading Linux companies to have not signed an agreement with Microsoft.

Red Hat Inc. Chief Executive Matthew Szulik has now declined to reveal the status of their current talks with Microsoft.

Xandros Inc. and Linspire Inc. are two other Linux companies to have signed a similar agreement with Microsoft.

Mandriva and Ubuntu have publicly stated that they are not going to go ahead with such a deal.