A judge in the Netherlands today

granted Microsoft a preliminary injunction against desktop Linux

[pendanticist]

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/article.php?story=20040130092516581

Do you think MS can stiffle Lindows, in the long run?

[digitalghost]

I don't think MS will have to stifle it. Lindows is, well, not quite Linux and not quite a good OS. 'sides, Lindows sounds dumb... :)

[pendanticist]

I was thinking along the lines that if Linux went, so would Lindows.

I should have asked if this could eventually spell doom for Linux. ;)

Added the word 'for'.

[edited by: pendanticist at 9:20 pm (utc) on Jan. 30, 2004]

[bcolflesh]

if this could eventually spell doom Linux

Doom Linux is spelled: id ;)

This has everything to do w/a name trademark dispute - nothing to do w/Linux as an OS.

[pendanticist]

Nothing to do with the OS? I'm of the impression that's exactly what MS wants to do, ( stiffle the OS ) and is using Lindows as a means to that end.

[bcolflesh]

Hmm - I can't guess at their ultimate intentions, but all the stuff I've read about the case suggests to me that they just don't want another OS being sold whose name could conceivably be associated with "Windows".

[pendanticist]

Guess it's open to interpretation...

"It's clear that Microsoft is using their army of hundreds of attorneys and billions of dollars as a battering ram to destroy any company that promotes desktop Linux," said Michael Robertson, chief executive officer of Lindows.com Inc. "They were unsuccessful in the U.S. with this tactic, so now they're resorting to picking countries where they will find a sympathetic court. Today, U.S. customers can purchase computers pre-installed with desktop Linux and are saving millions of dollars when compared with expensive, virus-prone software from Microsoft. This ruling may delay the day when Dutch customers receive those same savings, but I can assure you that we will continue to battle to bring the benefit of choice to the Netherlands."

I wonder though, if this really is a Booble Google [reuters.co.uk] thing?

[bcolflesh]

I think Michael Robertson's statement is simply a tactic to make a trademark case look like a David versus Goliath "free choice" battle. If his company was selling the "Desktop Linux" OS or some other sensible name, they wouldn't be in this battle - in fact, I'll bet they were banking on this type of publicity.

[drewls]

Nothing to do with the OS? I'm of the impression that's exactly what MS wants to do, ( stiffle the OS ) and is using Lindows as a means to that end.

Lindows is a commercial product, completely separate from Linux. Aside from using (and badly I might add) underlying, freely available Linux code as it's base, Lindows has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Linux. Microsoft could stomp Lindows into the ground and it wouldn't make a lick of difference to the Linux project, Linux users, or anyone else for that matter.

[cyril kearney]

pendanticist
"I should have asked if this could eventually spell doom for Linux. ;)"

Linus is more a threat to other versions of Unix than it is to Microsoft. That is where they are getting most of their marketshare.

Please note that the article on LinuxElectrons is a commentary on the news of the injunction and does not explain the court's reason for granting the injunction. I hardly think the judge is a Microsoft minion so their must be some logic behind this injunction.

It would be nice to hear why the court granted the injuction so one could make an independent judgement without the spin.

[pendanticist]

Ah, now the line is not so blurred. Thanks All. :)