Microsoft Plans IE Changes Due to Plugin Patent

Posted by michael on Friday September 12, 2003 @05:09AM from the hello-mozilla-anyone-paying-attention dept.

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."

4 of 803 comments (clear)

hater's dilemma! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-09-12 05:13 · Score: 5, Funny

we hate MS, go Eolas!!!

we hate patents, go MS!!!

umm... *pop*
An IE Change!? by Kedisar · 2003-09-12 05:14 · Score: 5, Funny

There hasn't been one of these since, like, '99?!

WHOA!
Re:Software patents are dumb by Free_Meson · 2003-09-12 05:56 · Score: 5, Funny

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?
Your patent link is infringing by Emmet · 2003-09-12 06:03 · Score: 5, Funny

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.