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Microsoft, Apple Sued Over Software Update Patent

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the stupid-patent-hurt-the-big-guy-too dept.

mark_wilkins writes "Microsoft and Apple have been sued by Teleshuttle Technologies, LLC, alleging that their online software updating technology infringes a patent on providing online updates to software with a menuing system to permit the user to pick the updates. Apparently the work on which the patent is based supposedly goes back to 1990."

5 of 532 comments (clear)

  1. Gimme a billion dollars, I'm a genius, I swear. by The+I+Shing · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The link presented is what, a press release by the company doing the suing? That's a nice, unbiased viewpoint, there. I like how the "article" states "This move follows Microsoft's and Apple's delay in entering into licensing agreements with BTG on commercially reasonable terms." In other words, "we're suing them because they told us that we're full of crap and please get lost." I skimmed through the lengthy patent in question, and it's so insanely broad that I cannot imagine that it would survive a court battle with its claims intact. There's not one single mention of how any portion of the "technology" in question would actually do anything. It's just a description of how it would be used. It looks like someone patenting a type of car by claiming, "It has wheels, and it moves forward and backward and can be steered by a person or by some other type of steering control, give me a billion dollars right now, I'm a genius."

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  2. Soooo by FrO · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What the hell are we supposed to do when this company seeks an injunction against Microsoft's Windows Update?

    lots of people will be royally f*cked...

  3. Summary by Luveno · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Mundane Concept = Mundane Concept

    Mundane Concept Online = Patent

  4. Past damages? by yeremein · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The suit asks for unspecified damages for past infringing activity and an injunction against future use of the technology.

    This is ludicrous. BTG shouldn't be allowed to wait for ten years to enforce their patent, and then sue for past damages. If BTG were being damaged, BTG should have filed suit earlier. This is nothing but a shakedown.

    The good thing about it is that if Microsoft gets pissed off about submarine patents, they have the money and political influence to do something about it, like lobby Congress to reform patents. Unless, of course, the perceived benefits of their patent arsenal outweigh the occasional nuisance lawsuit.

  5. Re:Menuing system by Jaysyn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh you mean a webpage with programs to download?

    Jaysyn

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