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Burst.com and Microsoft Settle

Posted by timothy on from the legal-shenanigans dept.

prostoalex writes "Microsoft and Burst.com announced a tentative settlement, where Microsoft will pay Californian company $60 mln for allegedly stolen multimedia streaming software. Robert X. Cringely provided the recap of the court case back in 2003 (and Slashdot discussion ensued). According to Burst claims, Microsoft entered a non-disclosure agreement with the company to learn about Burst's multimedia streaming technology. Later the technology, for which Burst has 37 patents, has been found in Windows Media Player. When aksed to present the archives of the e-mails and all communications within the company for the trial, Microsoft somehow presented all the documents that preceded before the deal and the documents that followed it. The e-mails during the 35 weeks that negotiations were held mysteriously disappeared. In court Microsoft claimed the e-mails were erased from employee's desktops, e-mail servers and server backups. The technology was not interesting to Microsoft, lawyers insisted, so the electronic trail of communications was erased."

4 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. A missing email! by ackthpt · · Score: 3, Funny
    The technology was not interesting to Microsoft, lawyers insisted, so the electronic trail of communications was erased."

    Strange, I found this one in my box a few years ago...

    To: Windows Media Player Department Head
    cc: Department of Things That Actually Work The First Time Head

    This patented technology for increasing the efficiency of video and audio streaming looks great. Since we're such a big company and with our Bucket o' Lawyers we could drive anyone into the ground for having the temerity to sue us for IP theft, let's just co-opt it like we do everything else.

    By the way, how is it going with that project for selectively deleting emails from all mailboxes, archives, backup servers, backup tapes? Why don't you pick something out and just give it a test run.

    -Bill
    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. New version of Clippy by bigtallmofo · · Score: 5, Funny

    The missing emails were actually attributed to a rarely-used update to Outlook's Clippy-assistant:

    "It looks like you're being sued. Would you like me to delete all correspondence related to the lawsuit?"

    --
    I'm a big tall mofo.
  3. Re:How does one... by kegwell · · Score: 5, Funny

    Micro$oft is just too embarrassed to admit their Exchange server crashed. ;-)

  4. great company by zerkon · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't think I want to buy software from a company that randomly loses data... oh wait I dont

    --
    The Answer