Novell and Microsoft collaborate some more in a way that fulfills Microsoft's goals

I've been thinking about something for a few days now. It's about the latest Novell-Microsoft deal that was announced on August 20, where Microsoft agreed to buy another $100 million worth of vouchers from Novell. I was wondering: how come two public companies can make a deal that seems to me to be material and yet keep pieces of the deal secret?

Novell has moved to quell growing concerns that it has sold Linux out to Microsoft as part of its Attachmate deal. On Wednesday, Novell chief marketing officer John Dragoon issued a short statement saying that Novell – not Microsoft – owns the copyrights on Unix.

Novell is fed by Microsoft and it also serves Microsoft, this latest situation being a possible new example (Microsoft and Novell try to hijack OOO.)

While many Linux users hated the idea of the Microsoft/Novell partnership from the start, Ian Bruce, director of Novell public relations, says that “Customers drove” the latest expansion of the Novell/Microsoft deal.

Novell moves for judgment on slander of title and damages:

Defendant Novell, Inc. ("Novell") respectfully moves the Court to grant judgment as a matter of law in favor of Novell because plaintiff The SCO Group, Inc. ("SCO") has failed to introduce legally sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable jury could find for SCO on its claim for slander of title....

Growing speculations about the future role of these two companies

This one has been circulating for the past few hours (also sent to Groklaw and added by now). The articles really speak for themselves and they all originate from (or cite) IDG. Although it is not related to Novell, it sure relates to anti-consumer — and probably anti-competitive too — moves from Microsoft.

The latest moves which involve office suites, in a nutshell: Sun, Novell, Microsoft, and Red Hat