Microsoft licenses patents "covering use of Linux-based servers in datacenters"

  • Based on the data Microsoft is willing to publish, one can only assume that they are using the threat of a lawsuit to intimidate other companies into signing lopsided deals like this. That is, of course, illegal under US anti-racketeering and anti-trust laws as well as immoral and unethical. Without knowing the details of these agreements, of course, no one can say one way or the other, but given Microsoft's history of illegal anti-competitive practices they are inviting these sorts of speculation when they sign these deals. I doubt AMDocs is profiting from the deal and I doubt they would have bothered if not for fear of being crushed under the weight of Microsoft's legal department.