The Free Software Foundation today issued its most serious threat to Microsoft to date.

"We will ensure--and, to the extent of our resources, assist other GPLv3 licensors in ensuring--that Microsoft respects our copyrights and complies with our licenses," the group said today in a note posted on its website.

The statement is just one of many moves in the chess game between open source and Microsoft, but it's a relevant move nonetheless.

The FSF has not only come out and officially stated that it believes that Microsoft is distributing Linux code as part of last year's Novell partnership, the group is also is threatening to enforce the license.

29 Aug 2007

The stakes are huge because it could set of a chain reaction. If Microsoft is considered a distributor of open source code, it has to abide by the GPLv3. It will have to grant a loyalty free patent licence to open source developers and users, effectively robbing it from the opportunity to ask any money for its patent portfolio.

The problem is that this entire battle is taking place in a legal grey area. Even lawyers who are considered to be in the open source camp aren't sure. Sure if Microsoft can legally be considered a distributor of open source software. Or if the firm can unilaterally revoke the terms of the Novell SuSE coupons that it has been handing out to customers.

With the stakes being this high, the battle will have to ultimately end up in a court room, where it will be dragged out over years of rulings and appeals. Pull up a comfortable chair and get ready for a long sit.

The FSF and Microsoft are old friends