Bill Gates Trashing

NY Times has an article: Many Are Already at Work on Fulfilling Gates’s Vision, to which one reader comments:

::

bill gates has *never* done anything new in his life – he has *stolen* everything he built his company on. this is once again a gates lie. yes he made a lot of money from his thefts. if there were any justice in the world, he would be in jail.

but there isn/t.

— Posted by richard martin

::

Ouch!

Comments

Mr. Gates is a very smart man, and one of the best business strategists of our time. The accumulated wealth of Microsoft and Mr. Gates is testimony to that fact.

However, Mr. Martin’s characterization is probably not far from the truth.

Realtosh Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 1:03 PM PT

I am shaking my head at this discussion!

Sramana Mitra Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 6:16 PM PT

Apple stole from Xerox. Microsoft stole from Apple and others. Shades of that are also seen as Google grows (they ‘borrowed’ a business model from Overture).

That is how the Valley works – people are inspired by others work. Someone figures out the business value of intellectual property and goes ahead and scales it. So what?

Honestly, IP is overvalued! Commercialization should be respected more.

• Santosh

Santosh Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 7:26 AM PT

Santosh,

What you say is largely true. People are inspired by others’ work all the time. That is a posiive.

Apple licensed technology from Xerox and brought over some scientists to Apple as part of that agreement.

In regards to Microsoft, I think what Richard is trying to speak to, are examples such as:
1. Pretending to work with Apple to develop apps for Mac, then at last minute extorting rights to the user interface in order to ship product.
2. Pretending to work with IBM as a partner on OS/2, while using the knowledge obtained from that partnership to quietly develop a new version of Windows in the background. Then at last minute not shipping any apps for OS/2 and actively migrating DOS users to Windows instead of OS/2.
3. Giving away Internet Explorer for FREE to put Netscape out of business. Then when successful in destroying the market for browsers, essentially stopping development on IE for years.

There are many examples. These are just some of the most egregious. Like I said, Mr. Gates is one of the best business strategists of our time. Don’t be surprised if some people are not thrilled with his tactics.

Realtosh Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 9:21 AM PT

Sraman, Sorry to see that you join this thrashing. I wish any one of his business minded does 1/10 of what he does today.

I just think this as another way of social service. May more Bill Gates rise in the world.

vijay Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 9:04 PM PT

What nonsense! I don’t thrash Bill Gates EVER. I have the utmost respect for the guy.

Sramana Mitra Friday, February 1, 2008 at 10:21 AM PT