The proposed operating-system migration of the City of Munich's 14,000 desktops from Microsoft to Linux was placed in jeopardy Friday, when a Munich alderman petitioned the Bavarian city's mayor to examine the status of software patents in the European Community.
The issue was raised by Green Party Alderman Jens Muehlhaus, who warned that patent issues could grind some of the city's departments to a halt in the future. The issue involves a proposed directive on software patents that is being considered by various European governments, including Germany, France, and the U.K.
“The threat is this: a patent owner could send a cease-and-desist order against the City of Munich,” said Florian Mueller, a software entrepreneur and spokesman for the Green Party there. Mueller noted that the European patent situation is “a grey area” that should be clarified.