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Microsoft Nailed by Software Patent
An anonymous reader writes "It was just announced that Microsoft lost the case where it was accused of violating Eolas' patent on embedded applications in the Internet Explorer browser. They have been fined $521 million in damages."
A little patent-portfolio company did in one suit what the Fed couldn't in 5 years.
This means there will probably just be another IE service pack that breaks more web pages....
I just bought stock in MS too! :( At least it's first post! :)
Microsoft = bad
Patents = bad
So is this good? Must be some sort of paradox if so...
"Isn't this just one more reason to use MozillaFirebird?"
If I were looking to up my karma, then yes.
> The dream of a lifetime for you and me, pretty near statistically insignificant for Microsoft.
Yeah, they probably 'lose' more than that due to rounding errors when they run up their reports.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
From the article: "Eolas had argued that the technology for "plug-ins" and "applets" made it possible for Microsoft to compete against the Netscape Navigator browser."
In other news, SCO has also sued Mozilla for the use of "HTML" and "JavaScript" which have made it possible to be used by more than one person...
Sig & Below
Yuck Fou
"YOU HAVE FAILED"
</darthvader>
a/s/l here. Sorry, adding domain tags to your s
You may have noticed that this article seemingly falls into 7 different categories. Let me break them down for you so you can see for yourself how each one applies to this insightful article.
Firstly, the Bill-Gates-As-Cyborg is representative of Microsoft being fucked.
Secondly, the IE icon with the broken halo is representative of Microsoft falling from grace.
Thirdly, the circuitboard was just misclick by Taco.
Fourthly, the patent pending icon is representative of Cyborg-Bill being stabbed in the back by a rusty spoon.
Fifthly, the hat on briefcase thing also represents Microsoft being fucked.
Sixthly, the internet thing represents my posting this on slashdot about Microsoft being fucked.
Lastly, the newspaper icon represents joe sixpack reading in weekly world news tomorrow that Microsoft is being fucked.
Boo: Overbroad Patents!
Boo: This patent is stupid!
Boo: Microsoft in general!
Yay: Microsoft has to pay money!
Boo: It's too little money!
Solution to this:
Yay: Mozilla!
Yay: Slashdot!
Obviously, you were rejected because you rounded the 520.6 million down instead of up.
Stupid Microsoft! J00 G0+ 0W#3D! Thatt'll show you to write crappy code! Now you have to PAY. MUHAHAHAHAH.
Random is the New Order.
Can you say, 'Rounding Error'?
I knew you could.
Your post is completely and utterly worthless. Mine is of similar caliber.
I'm sure you meant "IE is available free of charge".
'There is a Light that never goes out.'
More accurately, microsoft is a subset of evil, and patents is a subset of evil. The most that can be said is "Because some evil is microsoft, and some evil is patents, some microsoft may be patents."
What about the obligitory "PLUG IT IN PLUG IT IN!"
IMO this is just getting rediculous... this is almost as bad as the whole "buy it now" patent.
This screws Flash, Java applets, and all kinds of other things.
Man, this rocks!
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
1) Patents are bad
/.
2) Microsoft is bad
3) When a patent dispute goes against Microsoft, ignore rule #1
4) While(TRUE) SCO = evil
Another typical day at
What's that money to them... Bill Gate's Pocket Cash?
I can see it in court now..
Bill G.: Sorry.. How much was that?... Yeah sure.. just a sec.. *flip flip* there yeh go! Now run along and don't bother me again!
in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
Ironic is aready an adjective: there is no need to add -al to it.
He was just trying to adjectival it.
-
- - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
"but I honestly don't think Microsoft is evil - just greedy."
*WOPR voice* What's The Difference, Dr. Falken?
Does Not Compute - Slashbot Overloa....... (no carrier)
The two best ways to profit from a bogus patent is to either go for small amounts from small companies that will settle before defending, or to go after the largest companies that jealous lawyers will perceive as having too much money. The courts are desparate to show that they are "for the people" and that bogus patents defend the people.
That would make the answer obvious then, wouldn't it? Just have Microsoft demonstrate to the court how they stand up against corporate greed to further the rights of the "little man" and they are in like flint B-).
Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
Hold on a minute - not only are you related to a shareholder of a company engaged in /. reader's 2nd most despised activity in the universe, you then come onto /., own up to that fact and then make thinly veiled threats about other browsers.
Either you have a death wish for your servers or you are monumentally short-sighted.
>"...Microsoft has made extensive use of Eolas'
>technology to make its Internet Explorer the
>best-of-breed browser"
Best of breed? I thought perjury was a serious crime in US courts.
Judge: Mr. Gates, your company owes Eolas $521 million in damages.
Gates: Sure, let me get my wallet!
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
I thought Microsoft, like SCO, respected other peoples IP !?!?
---- There are 10 types of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't
Even when it's against someone "evil", like Microsoft. Which I don't believe for a second. Evilness doesn't exist, only ignorance.
I'll agree that Evil doesn't exist, in the sense of a disembodied force or being. However, evil certainly does exist. Microsoft isn't ignorant. They are well aware of what they are doing - it's a deliberate strategy. Microsoft wants to rule the IT market, and could care less about the free market or fair trade. I call that "evil." I call it that because of it's effect. You can call it something else, if you like, but then we're merely arguing semantics.
Evil, (one of) thy name(s) is Microsoft. For the moment. In a past life, it was called IBM (now one of the good guys.) In the future, it'll be something else. But evil does exist.
"The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.
Therefore, you may not figure out the length of one side of a right triangle using the lengths of the other two sides without sending Pythagoras a check for $699.
With guns and sanctions they dictate who can use what technology, because someone were "first". Come on! Most of us stopped such silliness in the kindergarden.
We need educational reform to stem the rampant use of guns and sanctions in kindergarten!
Deven
"Simple things should be simple, and complex things should be possible." - Alan Kay