Microsoft Befriending Linux

It seems Microsoft is really getting into the swing of the “if you can’t beat em, join em” expression with the latest news that they’re going to be signing a new partnership with Novell. Could this be quite innocent and actually an attempt improve the interoperability between the two operating systems as advertised or could this be MS trying to squeeze out one of it’s competitors? Only time will tell, but it seems patents and patent protection is weighing in heavy if the FAQ on the Novell site is anything to go by.