14 DAY TRIAL // If there is one thing in this world I?m pretty sure of, that would be Microsoft?s skills when it comes to making money. But what would you say if I told you that Microsoft has published on its Windows Marketplace website a link pointing to a Ubuntu Desktop distribution download page? (to be read "free stuff").
This is not such a weird thing because, as I recall, Microsoft has already distributed over 40,000 certificates for three-year priority support subscriptions to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server under the Microsoft and Novell collaboration agreement in this year?s first 6 months.
But considering the fact that Windows Marketplace is ? as the website?s about page says ? the place that "makes it easy for you to discover the software & hardware that work best for you and your PC" what will the Windows OS users think about Microsoft delivering them a link to a Ubuntu Linux distribution as one of the solutions that work best for their computers?
Will they think that Microsoft has gotten all puffy and finally admitted that Ubuntu is a real good alternative to the home brewed Vista OS? Will they ask themselves if Microsoft uses Ubuntu in their offices instead of Vista? Will they ponder a little on the whole picture and think that Microsoft probably owns some part of Ubuntu if they said that open source and free software was infringing on no less than 235 Microsoft patents? If that?s the case, Microsoft probably has some reason to get in the deal. Or, maybe, they will question themselves on why Microsoft didn?t try to sell the thing. Not! Why not? Because oh wait, there?s the GPL!
Although the ones of you that are familiar with what GPL stipulates will definitely get a good laugh out of the last sentence, the cruel truth is that the Microsoft employee or whoever made the mistake (it has to be a mistake due to the fact that the page disappeared in mid air after a while) doesn?t have a clue on what are the limitations imposed by GPL. The result of that mistake? Ubuntu is a free product, redistributable by anyone (as it actually is) with "no limitations" at all!
But there is a limitation stated in the GPL: when redistributed by others, the GPL licensed products have to be also GPL licensed. And that definitely means they will always be free of charge so you can say good bye to selling it!
And now, the last one: will the users wonder if Ubuntu and Microsoft are in the middle of some negotiations and from here a new agreement between the Redmond Company and an Ubuntu representative will be signed?
Some of the Microsoft products? users already asked themselves some of these questions (as I also did), but you must realize those are by no means all the things that went through the heads of all the guys that found about a certain Windows Marketplace page containing the Ubuntu download link. There were probably others that thought about much more hilarious things than the ones you?ve read above.
Setting aside all the funny mumbo jumbo of this situation, a thing is clear: Ubuntu will not collaborate with Microsoft while the Redmond Company keeps threatening with suits on the copyright infringement matter (if you don?t believe me, then read THIS) and they will certainly not accept a proposal from Microsoft to get commercial.
Curious on what the vanished Windows Marketplace page said? Then take a look at Google?s cache here or read the page?s content: "This is the desktop version of Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a community developed operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops, and servers. Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need, from word processing and e-mail applications, to Web server software and programming tools. Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing. Version 7.04, named "Feisty Fawn," adds the Ubuntu Studio, a multimedia editing and production suite, to the distribution."
One mystery remains to be solved though: what do you think happened to the guy that made the mistake of submitting the Ubuntu distribution to the Windows Marketplace? I am sure that, as in many other similar cases related to Microsoft, nothing will be known about the poor guy?s faith. As far as we know, he has already been kicked out of Redmond, if not out of USA.