Microsoft chief executive Mr Steve Ballmer warned Asian governments today that they could face intellectual rights-infringement lawsuits for using rival open-source operating platforms such as Linux.
Linux is open-code software that is freely available on the Internet and easily modified by users.
Its growing popularity with companies and governments around the world, and particularly in Asia, is a threat to the global dominance of Microsoft's proprietary Windows platform.
Mr Ballmer, speaking in Singapore, said Linux violated more than 228 patents. He did not provide any detail on the alleged violations, which the Linux community disputes.
"Someday, for all countries that are entering the WTO (World Trade Organization), somebody will come and look for money owing to the rights for that intellectual property," he added.
Singapore's Ministry of Defence last month switched 20,000 personal computers to run on open-source software instead of the Microsoft operating platform.
China, Japan and South Korea this year agreed to jointly develop open-source software running on Microsoft's rival Linux operating platform. The Chinese government, in particular, sees its reliance on Microsoft as a potential threat.