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Microsoft Nailed by Software Patent

Posted by michael on from the software-patents-dangerous-to-everyone dept.

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."

17 of 668 comments (clear)

  1. It's amazing.. by Plix · · Score: 5, Funny

    A little patent-portfolio company did in one suit what the Fed couldn't in 5 years.

    1. Re:It's amazing.. by Feztaa · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hello? This is Microsoft we're talking about. $500 million dollars is pocket change. If Billy happened to find $500 million dollars lying on the ground, he probably wouldn't bother to pick it up.

      Besides, none of this matters, because software patents are EVIL! Yes, they are even more EVIL than Microsoft! And it doesn't matter that the victim is also EVIL, the patents themselves are still EVIL!

    2. Re:It's amazing.. by EJB · · Score: 5, Funny

      I believe they claimed Microsoft violated US patents # 000.000,000,001 (the '1 patent) and # 000,000,000,002 (the '2 patent).

      The '1 patents lays out a "way to rule a country comprised of dozens of states" and the '2 patent describes the taxation of citizens of a huge country.

  2. Great! by freeze128 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This means there will probably just be another IE service pack that breaks more web pages....

  3. Im so confused!!!!!! by slash-tard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft = bad

    Patents = bad

    So is this good? Must be some sort of paradox if so...

  4. Re:Another Reason? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Isn't this just one more reason to use MozillaFirebird?"

    If I were looking to up my karma, then yes.

  5. And in other news... by Scalli0n · · Score: 5, Funny

    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
  6. Categories for this article explained... by pHatidic · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  7. In Summary... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!

  8. $521 million? To MS? by Tumbleweed · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can you say, 'Rounding Error'?

    I knew you could.

  9. Re:Before you start bitching about slashdot users. by j1mmy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Your post is completely and utterly worthless. Mine is of similar caliber.

  10. Re:Damnit! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    You're not doing so well today are you?

  11. Re:Well, then.... by BobTheJanitor · · Score: 5, Funny

    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."

  12. Re:This is very very bad by Hatta · · Score: 5, Funny

    This screws Flash, Java applets, and all kinds of other things.

    Man, this rocks!

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  13. Let me just make sure I've got all the rules... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    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 /.

  14. Re:Amazing grace indeed.. by Alsee · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ironic is aready an adjective: there is no need to add -al to it.

    He was just trying to adjectival it.

    -

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  15. Here's how it went... by Anita+Coney · · Score: 3, Funny

    Judge: Mr. Gates, your company owes Eolas $521 million in damages.

    Gates: Sure, let me get my wallet!

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    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.