Feds Reject Eolas Browser Plug-In Patent

theodp writes "The USPTO has issued a preliminary decision invalidating Eolas' claim to Web browser technology central to a case against Microsoft, which could save the software giant more than half a billion dollars in damages. If upheld, this also means Microsoft will not be required to make changes that would have crippled IE's ability to work with plug-ins like QuickTime and Flash. Eolas has 60 days to respond to the decision. The USPTO has only invalidated 151 patents out of nearly 4 million patents awarded since 1988."

Comments

Finally...

[clifgriffin]

A consumer oriented decision in this case. Web developers and users everywhere should start clapping.

I'll be the first.

*clap*

I'm siding with Microsoft ...

[d00ber]

... on this one.

...Agghhhh... Can't breathe... ..

This patent for browser plugins should have been shot down. All browsers (and many other apps) use this idea in some form and even though Eolas seemed to have a soft side for Free browsers it still sets a bad precedent to have bad patents unchallenged.

The irony...

[blorg]

From the USPTO help section:

If you want to download the full pages of a patent from the USPTO, "you must install and use a browser plug-in..."

Figure the odds

[instantkarma1]

While I'm glad they have invalidated such a bogus patent, I really hate the fact that they have decided to come to Jesus in just the nick of time for Microsoft.

Best government that money can buy.

[praksys]

I guess the only surprising thing about this is that sometimes money does actually buy good government.

Head is going to explode!

[FunWithHeadlines]

Ahhh...what to do, what to do?....This is good, for software patents are bad. But this is bad, for it is good for Microsoft. But it is good, for it saves the rest of us from this patent. But this is bad-- (HEAD EXPLODES)

It makes me wonder...

[JamesP]

about the other 150 invaidated patents...

P No. 1234567 A machine that does nothing

Re:No, more likely

[Squareball]

More like "In the election later this year, ask not what your government can legally do to you... because really the law doesn't apply to them"

If Eolas was SCO

[MojoRilla]

Don't get me wrong. I think Eolas is scum. The idea was trivial, and only extended the natural trend that things like mime types and gopher were doing. Plus plug-ins being used in much other software.

But, if Eolas was SCO, they would be suing end users for infringing on their browser technology. They would claim you would owe them $6.99 every time you accessed a page with a plugin. They would be saying that the mozilla developers were theives, and that javascript plugin detection code is unconstitutional.

So it could be a whole lot worse.

Re:Your Sig

[DA-MAN]

Makes perfect sense.

If George Bush is complaining the sex in his marriage is always the same, the answer is not changing the constitution.

George Bush has been complaining about same sex marriages, the parent poster took this to mean marriages where the sex is always the same, a pun as it were.

Thus 'If George Bush is complaining the sex in his marriage is always the same, ..."

He then continues with '... the answer is not changing the constitution." because George Bush has been mouthing off to anyone who will listen about how he intends on banning "same sex marriages"

Personally I am glad that we have a president who has solved so many of our major problems like the economy, terrorism and high taxes that he can now worry on trivial shit like same sex marriages. (For those humor-less anonymous cowards, yes I am being sarcastic)