RedHat, Novell sued for patent infringement

[CompWorld] Linux vendors Red Hat Inc. and Novell Inc. are being sued for patent infringement by IP Innovation LLC and Technology Licensing Corp. The plaintiffs claim they own U.S. Patent No. 5,072,412 for a "User Interface with Multiple Workspaces for Sharing Display System Objects" issued Dec. 10, 1991, as well as two other similar patents. It is believed to be the first patent infringement lawsuit involving Linux.

Will Apple support third-party developers for iPhone

[Newsfactor] Embracing third-party development for the iPhone is practically an imperative for Apple, Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, said in an interview. "Apple almost has to embrace third-party developers," he said. "The demand is so strong, the behavior of developers almost forces them to do this."

Shawn Fanning's Snocap cuts half its staff

[WSJ] The San Francisco company on Thursday laid off more than half of its employees, reducing to about 26 people its former staff of 57. The company said its remaining staff plans to focus its resources on existing partnerships, including deals with News Corp.'s MySpace and Imeem Inc. Snocap said it has heard during the past few months from large companies that are interested in a possible acquisition of the startup.

Scare supply means no holiday price drop for Wii

[Gamespot] Nintendo senior marketing VP George Harrison said that the Wii's price isn't budging, for now at least. "We'll stay at $249 for the foreseeable future. We are still selling everything we can make," he said.

Universal wants to take on iTunes

[eFlux] BusinessWeek reports that Universal chief Doug Morris is enlisting other big music players for a new online service. Among those mentioned is heavyweight Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, another potential partner.

FCC's Martin: Open access rules good for small biz

[CIO Today] The open-access provisions of the 700-MHz spectrum auction are a critical factor in making the spectrum accessible to small businesses, FCC Chair Kevin Martin told a House committee Wednesday. "It is our goal that this open platform requirement will allow smaller businesses ... to put their products directly into the hands of consumers."