>>If MS won't detail their allegations then the issues simply cannot be meaningfully discussed.
>
>Not really. Microsoft may not want to discuss it publically, but will do so with specifc companies. I didn't get anything from the article that they won't do that.

A "private" discussion with a FOSS company on this issue is meaningless - there is nothing stopping the FOSS company from disclosing any such discussion to anyone.

- Patents are public information

- Microsoft would not have to disclose any of their source code to make an allegation, but even if they did, a FOSS company would not have to disclose that source. For example, they could say

"Microsoft alleges that {specified FOSS source code}{specified FOSS software function} violates their patent {MS patent #, w/link}".

The community would immediately launch a massive effort to invalidate the patents and/or develop work- or invent-arounds. The truly rabid part of the community would look into ways to counterattack.

http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/05/microsoft_rehas.html

>
>>Do you have even one shred of evidence to back this assertion? My own suspicion is that they reached a blanket agreement not to prosecute each other, without any specifics. IOW to prevent the "patent Armageddon" as discussed in the article.
>
>None. I'm just guessing, but it could have been done how you said.