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Microsoft is asserting that there is Microsoft IP in Linux, and the whole deal with Novell was to pay Microsoft a fee so that Suse users wouldn't be subject to a lawsuit. The threat is that anyone not using Suse is infringing on Microsoft IP, and therefore would need to pay Microsoft for the privilege of using their IP or get their posteriors sued off. The fact that Microsoft has yet to identify exactly what IP is being infringed tells me that this is just another FUD campaign. However, every Suse install sold by Dell (or anyone else) implicitly supports the idea that Microsoft deserves to be paid by Linux users.
And it is perfectly legitimate to sell open source software. It isn't usual, but it is legitimate.
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