Just days after being accused of attempting to unleash potentially harmful Linux-related patents to find their way into the hands of patent trolls, Microsoft is now slated to announce its founding of a new foundation to support open source software.

Linus Torvalds, Linux creator, came out in a Q&A podcast with the Linux Foundation attacking patent trolls, SUN Microsystems, Microsoft, and More. "[P]atents on software should not be allowed," Torvalds said, "...it just does not work in software....[software] contains so many pieces that nobody could even know whether...different things might be under some completely trivial patent."

So, this is what we have been leveled to: patent wars. Earlier this week, I learned that the Linux Foundation has a portfolio of patents they own themselves and are quite willing to take Microsoft on in a patent war. And while I support the Linux Foundation fighting the good fight, I believe there are some issues that had better be considered.

Open-source pioneer and Novell Vice President Miguel de Icaza Thursday for the first time publicly slammed his company's cross-patent licensing agreement with Microsoft as he defended himself against lack of patent protection for third parties that distribute his company's Moonlight project, which ports Microsoft's Silverlight technology to Linux.

The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit vendor-neutral organization that coordinates development of the Linux kernel, has responded to the recent news that Microsoft and TomTom have settled their patent dispute. Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin wrote a blog entry on Tuesday commenting on the outcome of the conflict.

Patent news about Free software, Microsoft, and Microsoft-affiliated patent trolls

A look at some of the latest patent news and an explanation of why Microsoft and Apple (and Microsoft's patent trolls) are by far the biggest problem

Does the Microsoft-HTC patent agreement mean we can expect to see Microsoft weigh in on the Apple vs. HTC patent infringement matter? Or is the Microsoft-HTC deal just one more example (with more mobile-phone makers possibly to come) of Linux companies attempting to head off potential Microsoft lawsuits involving Linux?

Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin issued a scathing condemnation of Microsoft's recent attempts to unload Linux-related patents to patent trolls. He calls for the company to 'stop secretly attacking Linux' and compete on the basis of quality rather than FUD.