One of Google's slogans is "do no evil". After reading the long article that exposes Microsoft's attempts to collect royalties on patents that are supposedly violated by open source software, Microsoft should add "do more evil" as one of its slogans.

I started reading Microsoft takes on the free world at CNNMoney.com with an open mind. After I finished, I came to the conclusion that Microsoft isn't content to have the largest share of the proprietary software market. Microsoft wants to destroy its competitors completely.

I don't have anything personal against Microsoft software or its operating system. I believe that people should use what they need to get the job done, even if that job is just getting on the Internet. At this point in time, I believe that the Microsoft Corporation is its own worst enemy. Their continued attacks on all things not Microsoft is driving people away from their products, not toward them. It's kind of like how the RIAA is driving music lovers away from mainstream music.

I think in the end game, Microsoft is going to lose in a major way. After the US Patent Office declares a whole slew of their "after the fact" patents invalid, Microsoft is going to lose corporate clients as fast as they've been losing home users. Are makers of other operating systems and related software products ready and willing to fill the void? Oh, yes. Eager is more like it.

A few short years ago, my opinion was that Linux had a long way to go to be better than Microsoft. I had so much trouble with drivers and hardware cooperating with each other that I had no choice but to keep going back to Windows. I knew the day would come when Linux would be better than Windows. That day has come and gone. I'm absolutely positive that I'll be successful in moving away from Windows completely the next time I attempt to do so.

More blogs that are talking about this:

Ask the VC - Microsoft - The New Destructor of Innovation: "Now Steve Ballmer is seemingly on a press tour saying that Microsoft deserves royalites from anyone who uses free software and yes, this includes Linux."

The Technology Liberation Front - Microsoft's Shell Game: "The impression Microsoft wants to give here is that free software is of high quality because it's copied from Microsoft's own software."

Patent Law Blog (Patently-O) - Microsoft: FOSS Infringes Our Patents: "Microsoft's patent filing have ramped-up significantly over the past five-years, and the company will likely top the list of new-patent-owners in the coming years."

O'Reilly ONLamp Blog - Looks like Microsoft is ramping up for Son of SCO: "Yep, no more rumors, just the plain reality that Microsoft is going to take their portfolio of laughable patents and start sticking it to the open source community legally, as spelled out in the most recent Fortune."

Haacked - Is Fighting Open Source With Patents A Smart Move By Microsoft?: "Instead, I want to focus on the negative perception of such a move for Microsoft and the potential effects of that."

Jeremy's Blog - Microsoft takes on the free world: "It appears that the battle lines are being drawn and the cold war of software patent world may be coming to an end. The players involved here are huge and the amount of money astronomical. Who has the most to lose? I'd say Microsoft."