(IDG News Service) -- The expected approval of the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3) could further muddy the waters for Microsoft Corp.'s claims it will collect payment on its patents for Linux technology as there is a question about whether the company's interoperability deal with Novell Inc. will violate the forthcoming final draft.
The current version of the GPL, the open-source license for Linux, does not have specific protection against patent litigation for companies distributing Linux. However, GPLv3, which is expected to be in final release in the next couple of months, has a provision promising patent safety to those who receive software, such as Linux, distributed under the license.
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