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Munich Reconsiders Linux Migration

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Zombie9920:
The City of Munich has put its planned migration to Linux of 14,000 desktop PCs on hold due to concerns over software patents, the city's CIO said on Tuesday night. The call for bids in the LiMux Project, as it is known in Germany, was due to begin last week. But on Friday, Green Party Alderman Jens Muehlhaus called for the city to examine the impact patents might have on the decision, in light of software patents legislation currently under consideration in the European Union.

Muehlhaus said a cursory examination of Munich's proposed client software had turned up conflicts with more than 50 European software patents. The fear is that a company holding one or more of these patents could issue a "cease and desist" order to the Munich government, effectively shutting down the city's computer systems or forcing the payment of licensing fees. In response, the city decided to cancel the planned call for bids until the patent issue has been investigated, according to a statement from Munich CIO Wihelm Hoegner issued to the LiMux Project mailing list late on Tuesday.

Entire article @ eWeek

hm_murdock:
governments should be exempt from such fag ups

Refalm:
I hope this makes the German government realise that software patents are a really bad idea. The German government is now pro software patents.

solarismka:

quote:Originally posted by Viper:
The City of Munich has put its planned migration to Linux of 14,000 desktop PCs on hold due to concerns over software patents, the city's CIO said on Tuesday night. The call for bids in the LiMux Project, as it is known in Germany, was due to begin last week. But on Friday, Green Party Alderman Jens Muehlhaus called for the city to examine the impact patents might have on the decision, in light of software patents legislation currently under consideration in the European Union.

Muehlhaus said a cursory examination of Munich's proposed client software had turned up conflicts with more than 50 European software patents. The fear is that a company holding one or more of these patents could issue a "cease and desist" order to the Munich government, effectively shutting down the city's computer systems or forcing the payment of licensing fees. In response, the city decided to cancel the planned call for bids until the patent issue has been investigated, according to a statement from Munich CIO Wihelm Hoegner issued to the LiMux Project mailing list late on Tuesday.

Entire article @ eWeek
--- End quote ---


That may be true. However its better than paying very high licensing fees, support costs and or getting hit with the the latest trojan, spyware and virus attack!

Orethrius:

quote:Originally posted by kn0wn:


That may be true. However its better than paying very high licensing fees, support costs and or getting hit with the the latest trojan, spyware and virus attack!
--- End quote ---


Let's not forget the contracts of exclusivity for which Microsoft is most infamous.  In this situation, it's really "damned if you do, damned if you don't."  I say go with Linux.  Despite the overabundance of cliches in this post already, I'll venture one more: "better the devil you know than the devil you don't," and God only knows what M$ will do next.

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