For months, I've been trying to get Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) to answer a few questions about the Unix technologies in its intellectual property portfolio. Microsoft agreed to an interview, then backed out. So the question remains: How much Unix code does Microsoft have its hands on?

Red Hat's new chief executive Jim Whitehurst has admitted his company needs to improve its approach to its customers and partners.

Red Hat's newly appointed chief executive, Jim Whitehurst, has two masters to serve: Wall Street, and the open-source community. Failure to keep either happy will have its consequences, both damaging to his business.

Microsoft signed with Novell, and then got all "everyone else is violating our patents". This article talks about what was EXCLUDED from the Novell/Microsoft agreement, and the potential this has for a Microsoft attack.

Even though patent talks between Microsoft and Red Hat broke down last year before Microsoft went on to sign a technical collaboration and patent indemnity deal with Novell, Red Hat is still willing to work with the Redmond software maker on the interoperability front.

Another bit of evidence suggesting that Microsoft tries to phase in software patents into OSS

In an interview with Reuters, Szulik [Red Hat's CEO] declined to say whether his company is now in negotiations with Microsoft over signing such a patent agreement.
"I can't answer the question," he said.

In an interview, Jim Zemlin, the Linux Foundation's executive director, talks about desire to interoperate and discusses the desktop outlook for Linux.

A disappointing walk into the past and another look at OpenOffice.org at present.