So much for selling your soul to the devil Novell...

Begun the Linux wars has...

As reported and thoroughly investigated in this article on Groklaw a lawsuit has been brought to Linux-distributors Novell and Red Hat. In the article a good case is made for who's really behind the lawsuit (no, it's not really the plaintiff IP Innovation..) and you guessed it, it's Microsoft.

This should come as no surprise though. We all know that Microsoft are scared shitless of the little penguin that could, particularly Steve Ballmer it seems. In my opinion, unlike in the SCO-case this time they're not even trying to hide that it's them behind it all. The trail back to them is not very elaborate and good 'ole Stevie B. even predicted that a lawsuit was on it's way just the other day, which makes it look like he said "we could do this" and then went on and proved it. Not very smooth if they really were trying to remain the secret backer of yet another patent-claim catastrophe.

Interestingly enough Apple were previously attacked by IP Innovation with a similar claim and apparently have now paid the patent-trolls in order to keep them quiet.

Novell must be damn proud of themselves right now. First they sell their soul to Microsoft and now they're being stabbed in the back. Nice one, Stevie.