Microsoft Wins Summary Judgement in Smart Tag Case

dan2bit writes "Business Week reports that a judge in Wisconsin handed down a summary judgement today in favor of Microsoft, defending itself from a patent infringement suit brought by small fish Hyperphrase over the embedding of 'Smart Tags' in Microsoft Office. The suit also produced some amusing minutiae."

Comments

... But was the courts clock accurate?

[mdvolm]

Unless the clock on the court's server was using NTP or equivalant, it probably was not completely accurate. Of course there is no mention of the clock's accuracy, but how can you make a judgement without this information?

And anyway, it's four minutes and 27 seconds, c'mon!

Re:... But was the courts clock accurate?

[broken.data]

I have been burned by banks clocks and the CCRA (Canadian Customs and Revenue Service) for filing my income tax 27 seconds late since their server was slow as hell.

Tell me that 2% interest on $18,000 owing for that space of time is not going to piss you off. ($360 for the math impaired)

Obviously...

[Bodrius]

The problem is that the court has not upgraded to MS Time.

In any case, good for the court on putting the ridiculousness of the situation in writing. I mean, if the litigators are going to disrespect the court by wasting its time with ridiculous motions, they may be obligated to follow along, but they can at least put their own disrespect for the litigants in evidence.

Patents bad. Even worse than Microsoft.

[Thinkit3]

Any defeat of a patent is good news.

Re:Oh no the summary wasn't late

[Bull999999]

I thought that many slashdotters want MS to win this case? I guess there's no way to stop slashdotters from bitching.

If MS loses, they will bitch about stupid patent laws.

IF MS wins, they will bitch about how courts always go for big businesses.

RTFA!!!

[Galvatron]

Yes, that is what the judge thought, too. Do you need reading comprehension lessons or something? Allow me to quote:

Wounded though this court may be by Microsoft's four minute and twenty-seven second dereliction of duty, it will transcend the affront and forgive the tardiness. Indeed, to demonstrate the even-handedness of its magnanimity, the court will allow Hyperphrase on some future occasion in this case to e-file a motion four minutes and thirty seconds late, with supporting documents to follow up to seventy-two minutes later.

The judge is forgiving Microsoft for filing late, and is basically telling Hyperphrase to stop being a pain in the ass.