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Microsoft Plans IE Changes Due to Plugin Patent
aWalrus writes "Microsoft has outlined some of the strategies they may pursue for modifying the way Internet Explorer handles plugins (annoying the user may circumvent the patent) if they lose their legal battle against Eolas Technologies (which claims they invented the seamless procedure for running plugins). There has already been a previous ruling against MS which they continue to appeal. This is likely to have repercussions in the Open Source Community too. If MS is found to be infringing the patent, that ruling could be extended to other browsers like Opera and Mozilla. Usability expert Jeffrey Zeldman provides an in-depth commentary on this issue and its implications."
we hate MS, go Eolas!!!
we hate patents, go MS!!!
umm... *pop*
Perhaps even MS will learn the evils of SW patents, and call for an end to Software patents. Perhaps Slashdot will go 24hrs with SCO story also.
There hasn't been one of these since, like, '99?!
WHOA!
It could happen. Imagine a new MS suite built around free code. No need to worry about OE development anymore either.
"Don't depend on flash," I said.
"Nonsense," from the web-site head.
"Don't tie the site to flash," I chimed.
"Hush, silly boy," they replied.
"We tied our site to flash," I mope.
"Go rewrite the site," they cry, crushing all my hope.
So, who else sees an all-nighter coming up real quick-like?
Thomas Galvin
No Homestar Runner? That'd be dreadful.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
The death of flash would be the most wonderful day in web browsing history since it's inception.
:(
What do you mean? I think the most fun aspect of browsing the web is when a website brings a 450MHz CPU to its knees while it draws its hand-rolled menu system! It's even more fun when the menu system doesn't even work! Oh boy, this is the end of an era.
Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
someone who discovers a way to get to "5" by adding 1+4, or subtracting 4 from 7 should not be found to be infringing on my patent
7-4=5?
That's new, and non-obvious, but is it useful?
The images accompanying the patent text are TIFF files. My browser informs me that I need a plugin in order to view them.
In order to read the patent, I must violate it.
I hate MS: Go Eolas!
I hate patents: Go MS!
I hate flash: Go Eolas!
Eolas Technology is apparently a 1-man front for the University.[ of California]
So correct me if I'm wrong:
We have a government-funded institution which exploits the laxness
of a government agency, in order to extort cash from industry.
Even to a Communist-Bleeding-Heart-Liberal like me finds that hard to swallow!
Anything that can make people reconsider Flash-dependent websites is good.
Taking 1/2 billion dollars out of Microsoft's pile is good.
A ridiculous software patent owned by someone who refuses to license it or develop with it is bad.
The fear of infringing on some obscure patent when I decide to write the application that's supposed to carry me into retirement is bad.
I need booze. Now.
I am the inventor of the hilarious refrigerator alarm.
Debunking the "59 Deceits"
The death of flash would be the most wonderful day in web browsing history since it's inception.
Do i hear a HALLELUJIAH!?!? (even if i can't spell it).
While we are at it, i'd love nothing more than to ban HTML, Flash and embedded animated or static images from email and newsgroup postings.
The 160th person to send me 3 lines italicized, purple MS Comic Sans Font on a dark blue background, with 280kb of images IS NOT FUCKING CUTE ANYMORE!!!!!
Gawd, people.
*Warning - Satire intentional*
And while we are at it, we should abandon HTML on the Web as well. Terminal Screens and black and white were good enough for us in 1990 and it should be good enough for everyone now.
(Oh, scary new technology that makes things look pretty, me scared and don't understand.)
Maybe it was those darn XWindows developers that wanted to offer GUIs over a network that started all this silliness back in the 80s. Text is just good enough for everyone.
Damn those color loving, picture using liberals making the web look good and adding functionality. Maybe they are all terrorists and Commies anyway.
Give me a break...
Compete in the normal way?
They did. There's absolutely nothing wrong and a whole lot right with research-only firms doing the hard and risky R&D and then trying to sell it afterwards like these people did. They tried to shop it around, MS saw it and gave them the big brush off, stole it later as usual, then got burned for stealing it.
This is all good. This is the way the world should be.
Or maybe what you meant was they should have got a few tens of millions of VC funds, hired a few hundred people and went out of business later when MS threatened to stop shipping Windows and Office to anyone who did business with their little company? Then everyone gets laid off, MS gets the technology for free (again) and another group of enterprising and innovative (in the real sense, not the MS sense) people gets burned, thrown away, and forgotten so people like you can get Flash ads via IE. That would be great, huh? Just great.