Microsoft News Tracker

Turbolinux is the latest Linux distributor to sign up for Microsoft’s “intellectual property assurance”:

Microsoft Corp. and Turbolinux, a leading Linux client and server distributor in Japan and China, have announced a business agreement that expands on their recent collaborations. The deal advances Linux-Microsoft Windows Server interoperability, furthers research and development collaboration, and provides IP assurances for Turbolinux users.

To read the press release, you’d think it was all about interoperability and joint projects with patent protection merely along for the ride, but the Microsoft quote is provided by David Kaefer, general manager for intellectual property licensing at Microsoft and the top link in the side bar is for Microsoft’s Intellectual Property Licensing. One can’t help but wonder if any cash changed hands in this deal since it hardly seems compelling for Turbolinux. In any case, Turbolinux becomes the fourth Linux vendor by my count to go for one of these deals.