On April 18, 2007, Microsoft and Samsung announced a broad patent agreement , covering hardware and software products,
including Linux, and states that the deal is expected to accelerate product development for both companies.  Apparently a similar deal was closed with Fujitu-Xerox. 

These deals are certain to raise new ire among the FOSS faithful and for Microsoft present an interesting arm to wield. On one hand I am impressed that Redmond has been able to convince such substantial companies that such a deal is beneficial, or necessary. I begrudgingly admit the effectiveness of the, uh, negotiating skills of the Microsoft team (without approving of them, that is).

On the other hand, my heartfelt response is that if Microsoft truly has IP in Linux to license, it should make the extent of that IP clear, and not covet it at arm's length a la SCO. That being said, the Samsung/Fujitsu licensing will likely raise less ire than Novell did because the companies are embedded OEMs, not Linux distributors per se, and because embedded is more obscure and the effect less direct (well, not for me).

What does MS hope to achieve with these deals? If they indeed have IP to icense, then so be it - they are owed their just due, at least until the FOSS community can excise the impugned code (if they can). If not, then Redmond will eventually be outed as more than just a reputed IP extortionist. An alternate analysis is that with such deals, Microsoft seeks to coopt FOSS with new FUD, whether or not they have just claims (mild onspiracy theory). Another conspiratorial concept is that Redmond actually sought to and still seeks influence the direction of GPLv3 in a direction they view as harmful to ongoing FOSS deployment, by inspiring paranoia and further polarizing RMS, Eben Moglen et al. (I do not myself subscribe to this notion).