But, according to mark there’s nothing to be worried about. Here is a quote (thanks digg user schestowitz):

,—-[ Quote ]
| [Mark:] Microsoft is asking people to pay them for patents, but they won’t
| say which ones. If a guy walks into a shop and says: “It’s an
| unsafe neighbourhood, why don’t you pay me 20 bucks and I’ll make
| sure you’re okay,” that’s illegal. It’s racketeering. What Microsoft
| is doing with intellectual property is exactly the same. It’s a great
| company and I have great admiration for it, but this was not a
| well considered position.
|
| So you wouldn’t do a deal?
|
| [Mark:] No, absolutely not. But the time will come when the folks at
| Microsoft who have a clear vision for the company as a participant
| in this community, rather than as a hostile antagonist, will win.
`—-

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