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1125 IBM and GNU/Linux Letter of 1998

I believe that sometimes a man can effect change by means of a letter. In 1998 I sent the following letter to IBM. Mr. Gerstner handed the matter to an executive named Tom, who contacted me for clarification on the ideas. Perhaps my letter opened the door for IBM and perhaps it did not. Who can know such a thing for certain.

October 22, 1998
206 S. 5th. St.
Stillwater, MN 55082

Lou Gerstner, Chairman
IBM Corporation
Old Orchard Rd.
Armonk, NY 10504

Dear Mr. Gerstner:

I would like to ask for IBM’s support of my Free MN Initiative (document attached). Specifically, I would like you to consider the following IBM customer oriented strategies, and make an announcement, at a permanent web address, that I can cite in my Initiative document.

1) IBM will offer consumers the choice of a free software alternative, the GNU/Linux operating system and application suite, on its Intel based server and desktop hardware systems. Pursuant to this, please see my letter to Joel I. Klein, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust (document attached).

2) IBM is ready to provide enterprise support for the GNU/Linux operating system, on the
servers and desktops, of any customer who desires IBM’s support.

3) IBM will disclose parts of its proprietary hardware technology, to the free software community, so that the necessary operating system drivers can be written. IBM is willing to patent and retain commercial exploitation rights over certain inventions of the free software community and, in exchange, IBM will grant a free of charge license, to the free software community, to exploit these patents and will make a 501(c)(3) donation to the Free Software Foundation, of any royalties that result from these free software community patents.

4) IBM will begin to target its Notes and enterprise software to the GNU/Linux operating system.

IBM is my one stop shopping vendor of choice in this matter. If I lose hope, by November 16, 1998, I will approach IBM’s competitors with these strategies. If IBM will support my Free MN Initiative, then I have a much better chance of prevailing at the Minnesota Legislative hearing, which I plan to request in the Spring of 1999. If you review the political climate in Minnesota, you will find that its citizens are likely to support my Free MN Initiative.

Thank you for your consideration of this innovative partnering opportunity.

Sincerely,

Lyno Sullivan

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