Look like EMC has VMware's upcoming IPO penciled in for late June and that the S1 registration papers should start circulating soon. EMC said in February that it would float 10% of the subsidiary, which could be valued at $10 billion.

Supreme Court Asks Administration's Advice on Patent Case
According to the AP, the Supreme Court has asked the Solicitor General's opinion on whether it should take a case over whether a patent holder can claim royalties at various stages of the supply chain. Seems LG Electronics is suing a bunch of Taiwanese PC manufacturers for building Intel-based PCs for Dell, HP and Gateway demanding royalties for widgetry LG licensed to Intel. LG says it licensed its patents to Intel on the condition that the chips not be combined with non-Intel components in a way that infringed the patents. Intel apparently told the ODMs about the restriction and they allegedly ignored it. Dell, HP and Gateway are siding with the Taiwanese ODMs, including Quanta and Spectre Technologies, saying that's collecting twice on the same patent. The ODMs lost in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit last year.

Microsoft Prices at Piracy Levels
Microsoft said Thursday that later this year it would start selling $3 software to governments that buy and supply PCs to K-12 students in the third world. The software is called the Microsoft Student Innovation suite, which includes things like XP Starter Edition and Office Home. The company is also going to add 90 more Innovation Centers in 25 countries to the 110 it's already got in 60 countries to expand local workforce skills and create jobs. Microsoft says it's part of "reaching the next billion."