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Microsoft's Patent Problem

Posted by timothy on from the halt dept.

pens writes "Microsoft suffered utter defeat at a crucial pretrial hearing in what appears to be the highest-stakes patent litigation ever--one in which a tiny company called InterTrust Technologies claims that 85% of Microsoft's entire product line infringes its digital security patents."

2 of 712 comments (clear)

  1. 50 Billion in the Bank by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    Microsoft has $50 billion cash in the bank. That either buys a lot of small companies attempting to assert IP rights...

    ...and/or a lot of lawyers and political figures to push resolution of this case off to about the point where Disney's copyright on Mickey Mouse finally does expire.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  2. Re:WOW!! by BroFrog · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    That is a really sad comment. Microsoft (in my opinion) is one of the last great "profitable" American companies. Sony and Phillips have their main work force overseas. Wake up people, Microsoft is a great thing for this struggling economy. Most of my friends went to work for IBM or Microsoft out of college. And they *gasp* like there jobs. IBM ran into financial worries and decided to ship a large number of there jobs overseas. Take away Microsoft's money and the company will not die they will just cut costs/jobs.