Microsoft WMV In Patent Trouble?

thpr writes "According to rethink, Microsoft may be violating patents in their Windows Media software. Apparently, the VC1 standard (from The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), which has been pushed by Microsoft, depends on patents owned by other companies - more than likely, those that have patents used in the previous MPEG standards. According to the sources in the story, both Sony and Philips may take the case to court, rather than continuing negotiation. As they point out in a later update, Sony might be pleased to have a say in the competing HD-DVD format. Is this a 'major speed bump to Microsoft's dominance of digital media markets'?" Well, the answer, IMHO, is probably not - this is a negotiation issue. But this is a wonderful example of how intertwined legal & software issues can become.

Comments

Speed bump?

[theparanoidcynic]

When you have as much money as Microsoft a patent license, or even a multi million dollar judgment is pocket change.

Law = Software

[gearmonger]

"But this is a wonderful example of how intertwined legal & software issues can become."

The law is kind of like software for humans -- it is a set of codes that regulate who can do what under what circumstances.

Once machines get an inkling of intelligence and truly autonomous decision-making, then there will be NO difference between software and law.