IP: Anotherpoint of view on More on With Stock as Bait, Microsoft Lures Elite Professors

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Date: Wed, 07 Apr 1999 17:16:49 +0000
> From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger () ibd com>
> Organization: Internet Bandwidth Development
>
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
>
> I agree that most researches want to have impact on the field (though I'm sure they would like to make more than they 
> do as academic researchers!).
>
> But what I found most disturbing is the fact that bright people are giving their time and genius to the Microsoft 
> Monopoly Machine. Its been looking like Microsoft may finally be on the trailing edge of empire right now. But if this 
> intelligencia helps Microsoft to get "the next big thing" (or the patents on lots of important "little things") then 
> they are having a negative impact on the field by allowing Microsoft to gain dominance in the next wave of computing 
> and keeping the field as a whole from blossoming due to the dominance of a mediocre monopoly (see Windows 2000).
>
> One of Microsoft's stated techniques for stopping Open Source (its only real competition now) is to accumulate patents 
> and then use patent law to shutdown Open Source software piece by piece. (see 
> http://www.opensource.org/halloween2.html#quote9)
> -- 
> Robert J. Berger - Internet Bandwidth Development
> 14510 Big Basin Way #253  Saratoga, CA 95070 
> Voice: 408-882-4755 Fax: 408-490-2868
> Email: rberger () ibd com http://www.ibd.com