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Microsoft Confirms IE Changes in Wake of Lawsuit
theodp writes "On Monday, Microsoft verified that it will be making what it calls "modest" changes to Windows and IE to meet the requirements of the jury verdict against it in the Eolas patent infringement case. Microsoft says it will finish making the changes to IE and Windows by early next year and will provide developers that use IE technology with documentation to help them modify their applications, Web pages, and browser plug-ins to work with the new plug-in scheme, which affects all Web pages that use plug-in technologies such as Adobe Reader, Apple QuickTime, Macromedia Flash, RealNetworks RealOne, all versions of Java, and Windows Media Player. A preview of the new user experience shows the user being prompted to confirm loading of each ActiveX control."
So Microsoft is being forced to change their software again, for violating someone or other's patent. Maybe if they'd stick to better business practices they wouldn't be paying some noname company over 500 million dollars... of course they *can* afford it.
Nobody wins in a situation like this. M$ holds their monopoly, the class-action lawyers get paid the big reward, while the poor Windows user is stuck having to upgrade his browser and continue receiving those annoying pop-ups. People of the world, decide you had enough with MS by not buying anymore of their crappy OS/IE combination. Move over to the dark side.
Oh boy is this going to cause trouble! Can you imagine the confused looks on people faces when they're forced to reinstall of their plugins? Can you imagine the tech support phone calls? Can you imagine the tech support phone calls to you, because you "know about computers"? Oh yeah, this is going to be a barrel of laughs.
Still, there could be an upside to this. Bear in mind that being Open Source, at the moment Mozilla lags well behind Microsoft Internet Explorer with regards to available plugins. Obviously once Mozilla have settled with Eolas over the numerous infringments in the Mozilla codebase, it will at least level the playing field a little. Who knows, maybe we'll finally see a working Flash plugin for Mozilla? Although thinking about it, I can't imagine Real Networks would want to release their code under the GPL, so maybe not.
Who is this noone fellow, and why was he speaking for an atrocious speller like you?
Oh, you mean "no-one", two words, hyphenated. The statement "there was nune (phonetic spelling) left to speak out for me" sure loses its dramatic power don't you think? It actually becomes kind-of comical. If you'd rather be powerful than comical, try to spell better.
Nice letter. Pity you blew the whole thing by confusing affected/effected at the end, you mindless booger-eating dipstick.
Good old hest would probably shoot anyone who got in his way, then forget why he was shooting, and go back to drolling in his Cheerios.