Quick Mention: Asus, Xandros, and Microsoft 'Patent Tax'
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2007-11-27 00:03:14 UTC
- Modified: 2007-11-27 00:03:14 UTC
An article from
Physorg cites another one from IT Wire and confirms our suspicion that Xandros/Microsoft royalties are not an idea so far fetched. Here is the relevant fragment of text:
The popular Eee is not without its critics. IT Wire reports that Asus Eee may have misrepresented the Linux loaded capabilities. According to IT Wire, some Linux advocates say the Eee uses Xandros a Debian-based distribution that charges a license fee and has an agreement with Microsoft similar to the one signed by Novell.
While it's not too clear who these "Linux advocates" are, it seems to align with the type of deal (and pertinent terms) that we find in Novell, namely
the passing of money to cover "intellectual property". That's just what Microsoft wants. If its gets its way, even Linux 'appliances' such as the Eee can be taxed by Microsoft,
essentially replacing OEM tax with patent tax. In other words, even if people are not forced to pay for Windows (on any new PC), they could be forced to pay Microsoft/Linux patent tax.
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Previous coverage of Eee PC:
