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In 2006 Microsoft posted a high level summary of 235 patents that were allegedly violated by Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). These complaints included 42 violations from the Linux Kernel, 65 from the Linux GUI, 45 from the FOSS Open Source Suite, and 15 dealing with FOSS email programs (Microsoft's Smith and Gutierrez, 2007). Since this issue in 2006, FOSS has prospered beyond belief. Not only has FOSS survived, but it has grown enormously. Also in 2006, Microsoft signed a deal with Novell, agreeing that neither would sue the other (Upfold, 2006). Instead of fighting the FOSS business model Microsoft chose to instead join them with Novell's SuSE Linux model. Novell and Microsoft worked together in an attempt to collaborate with both open and closed source software. Their main competitor was Red Hat, who also was working on their own Linux system. Even more recently, Novell sold 882 patents to CPTN Holdings LLC in 2011. Upon the transaction, CPTN would dissolve itself. The patents were split up and purchased by Apple (25%), EMC (25%), Oracle (25%), and Novell's parent company Attachmate (25%). Another agreement of the deal allowed all companies involved to be free of any suits stemming from all 882 patents (Fosspatents blog, 2011). Microsoft was not negatively affected by the deal as they would essentially co-own the 25% share of patents Attachmate would recieve, as their deal with Novell allowed. This deal would allow FOSS continued growth full speed ahead. Today, all smart phones and many other devices, such as Ipads, run on some version of FOSS. Our government and military use many different versions of FOSS as well. The NSA created their own upgrades to FOSS, such as SELinux. Since 2006, Microsoft seemed to change their hard-nosed stance against FOSS and inevitably join them. Allowing prosperity for large corporations and small business alike. The ability for anyone to improve free downloadable code and operating systems is a huge boost to the technology world, and will allow FOSS continued growth and flexibility. The old business model of Microsoft's closed source software running the world will be a distant memory in the years to come. FOSS is the future and present of the computer world and it will only benefit everyone involved.

References:
1). Microsoft's Brad Smith and Horacio Gutierrez (2007) -Retrieved from website: http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2007/05/microsoft_foss_.html
2). Peter Upfold (2006) -Retrieved from website: http://fosswire.com/post/2006/11/aftermath-of-the-microsoft-novell-deal/
3). Unknown author (April, 2011) -Retrieved from Fosspatents Blog website: http://www.fosspatents.com/2011/04/analysis-of-new-novell-patent-deal.html