Jeremy Allison (LP09)

The Elephant in the Room: Microsoft and Free Software

• Trade secrets don't work
• Upset EU regulators
• Turned to patents
• Major conflict coming in mobile devices and netbooks.

What to do

• Keep making free software under copyleft licenses.
• Coral the elephant. Help people out of the sewer.
• Lobby against software patents. Persuade corporations that patent trolls are more of a threat than a protection.
• Search for prior art.
• Respectfully call out Microsoft employees at conferences.