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TVI to Sue Over MS Autoplay Feature

Posted by timothy on from the mmm-overbroadness dept.

scubacuda links to this Infoworld article, which reads in part "TVI charges Microsoft's autoplay feature infringes on four of its U.S. patents. TV Interactive Data Corp. (TVI) of Los Gatos, California, claims that Microsoft infringes on four of its U.S. patents, three entitled 'host device equipped with means for starting a process in response to detecting insertion of a storage media' and one entitled 'method for starting up a process automatically on insertion of a storage media into a host device.", writing "I hope no one has a patent on the shift key, because that's what I hit when I insert a CD. (That is, when I haven't already edited the registry)" Wouldn't automount / autofs fall under the same shadow?

5 of 408 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Back in my DOS days by Rick+the+Red · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then you violated these patents. Report to the nearest Intellectual Property Enforcement Agency and have your memory erased, you thief!

    --
    If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
  2. Re:Why stop with M$? by dnoyeb · · Score: 5, Funny

    How the 8-track? It starts playing when the tapes are inserted.

    Didn't SCSI have the cd-inserted data signal long ago? What was SCSI doing with it? or does MAC use SCSI?

  3. The really sad thing... by n()_cHIEFz · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...about these recent patent cases is I find myself on the side of Microsoft.. yuck! I need to shower!

    --
    -- Is it a right to remain ignorant? -- Calvin
  4. Re:Applies to more than MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    It has DNA data that gets accessed upon insertion.

    I'm sorry for you and your significant other. I'm luckily have some control over when my DNA data gets accessed.

  5. Re:Why stop with M$? by ivanmarsh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Doesn't a toaster have the same functionality?