Microsoft bullied Amazon?

[eddie]

How will this affect ubuntu and or ec2? Amazon lost me as a customer.
http://blogs.computerworld.com/15639/am ... ent-179290
http://rcpmag.com/articles/2010/02/23/m ... -deal.aspx

[jturning]

Well the deal is confidential, so we don't know the specifics other than its a patent cross-licensing deal. For all we know Amazon is getting over on Microsoft patents it can now use. Amazon is in business to make money and not give it away, so there must of been something in the deal that was good for them. And I don't blame them for not wanting to risk being mired in a long protracted lawsuit with Microsoft if that was even the case. But in the economy of today a business needs to look after its own best interests to survive and make money. I don't think shareholders would take the leadership wasting money in a long legal battle with no fruit at the end of the tunnel.

On using Amazon, they've always been good to me. I buy a lot of books and music and occasional other items from them. Low prices and usually free shipping. I won't touch their Kindle because of DRM. Main reason, I just handed one of my books to a coworker yesterday and you can't do that with the Kindle. Complex legal issues aside, I'll keep giving them my business because it usually results in me keeping more money in my pocket.

Bugz

[eddie]

I wish the EFF could of been involved. I can not see what patents if any the kindle has that could be Microsoft involved. Microsoft has been kiiled with prior art on a lot of things. Maybe that is what they are afraid of. EC2 allegedly had a lot of security issues anyway.