News about legal issues involving Linux, Open Source and Free Software

 Strange Bedfellows: Microsoft and Linux Foundation, May 20, 2009

Who says the lion can't lie down the with the lamb? The normally mortal enemies Microsoft and the Linux Foundation have signed a joint letter that argues against advice a key legal group is planning to recommend to judges regarding software licensing. I guess Microsoft and the Linux Foundation have found the only thing that they hate worse than each other --- lawyers.

The two organizations haven't been what you'd call snuggle-buddies, but they're certainly adamant about certain aspects of software enough to agree and collectively petition a legal group for redress of a document. In a somewhat surprising move, Microsoft and the Linux Foundation have joined forces in writing and signing a letter to the American Law Institute asking for the group to hold off on submitting a document entitled "Principles of the Law of Software Contracts" for adjustments.

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has been one of the surprise backers of people who the RIAA thinks should pay massive fines for sharing copyrighted music files online.

Illinois developer Erich Specht, filed suit this week for trademark infringement against Google and some 47 other companies in the Open Handset Alliance. At stake are the rights to the Android name which denotes Google's version of Linux that adorns their handsets.

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