It seems that Software producer Microsoft’s patent lawsuit against GPS navigation company TomTom has little perturbed the overall Linux community. Microsoft’s lawsuit against TomTom is being interpreted as the beginning of a Linux patent witch hunt, and viewed as threat to the whole free and open source software Linux community.

Microsoft filed two separate patent infringement cases against TomTom; one with the International Trade Commission and the second with the U.S. District Court in Washington, on Wednesday. Microsoft alleged TomTom of infringement of eight patents, three of which involve Linux.

According to some industry watchers, from here (TomTom lawsuit), Microsoft could launch its crusade against the overall Linux community, as Microsoft has long been claiming that Linux violates dozens of its patents.

"Microsoft's behavior is threatening. The free software world has to defend itself," said Eben Moglen, a Columbia Law School professor and chairman of the Software Freedom Law Center, a nonprofit organization that offers legal representation to developers and distributors of open-source software.

However, Microsoft has made it clear that its lawsuit against TomTom should not be interpreted as an attack against Linux or a shift in its position toward open-source software.

Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft, stated that Microsoft’s dispute is just with TomTom and it should not be viewed as the beginning of a Linux patent witch hunt. Gutierrez said, "I think there shouldn't be any ambiguity on our expectations as a company. We recognize that open-source software will continue to be a part of the industry.”

Meanwhile, Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, dubbing Microsoft- TomTom matter as "a private dispute," advised against a rush to judgment on the case.

In a Thursday blog post, Zemlin wrote, "We do not feel assumptions should be made about the scope or facts of this case and its inclusion, if any, of Linux-related technology.”

In the blog titled, "Note on Microsoft TomTomSuite: Calm Down, Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst," Zemlin wrote, "It is our sincere hope that Microsoft will realize that cases like these only burden the software industry and do not serve their customers' best interests.”

Zemlin also stated that the Linux ecosystem has "enormously sophisticated resources" at hand to help defend any claims made against Linux. He wrote that the Linux Foundation "is well prepared for any claims against Linux, for now, we are closely watching the situation and will remain ready to mount a Linux defense, should the need arise."