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Microsoft Found Guilty of Patent Infringement

Posted by samzenpus on from the pay-up dept.

Spy der Mann writes "Microsoft has been found guilty of patent infringement and ordered to pay a Guatamalan inventor Carlos Armando Amado almost $9m in damages. The US District Court of Central California court ruled that Microsoft had infringed on his intellectual property and ordered it to pay him $8.96m. The patent in question is a method to transfer data between Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access using a single spreadsheet."

21 of 342 comments (clear)

  1. In other news... by Rei · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, Guantemala's gross domestic product tripled today...

    --
    Sigur RÃs: I didn't know that Heaven had a rock band.
    1. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Grover Norquist called - he wants his sense of humor back. Now if you'll excuse me, the 80s is calling, and wants its insult format back...

    2. Re:In other news... by MynockGuano · · Score: 4, Funny

      Oh darn, I laughed at it. See, I thought the poster was being facetious, and it therefore struck me as humorous in that it exemplefied the irony of a huge American megacorporation being sued by a small Latin American business on basically their own turf by exaggerating the extent to which Microsoft's own GDP tends to rival entire nations. I feel so dumb now.

  2. Does this mean patents are good? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So wait, does this mean patents are good now?

    I'm so confused!

    1. Re:Does this mean patents are good? by SeventyBang · · Score: 2, Funny

      They're only harmful to Friends Of the Same Sex?

  3. new business strategy by pintomp3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    i like this idea you are trying to sell us. but it reminds me of something we are already working on. you may leave now, no need to take your folder with you.

    1. Re:new business strategy by Richard+Dick+Head · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well thats no joke, but they word it differently...investors will give you some money, but not enough to make your product successful... your company folds eventually, investors take your product and make 100-fold their initial pittance.

      You would agree too, since you'd say to yourself "well if it folds, then I don't need product rights anyway..."

      There's only one way to make big bucks...luck. Hard work, intelligence, and preperation are meaningless - everyone has that. So play the lottery if you want to hit the jackpot, at least thats low stress.

      --
      The real path to male liberation
  4. Coming up later in this newscast... by Admiral+Justin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jackson found innocent, invites school bus full of children to his ranch to celebrate.

    Yahoo decides to give up fight against Google and shifts all it's resources to making small toys for the quarter machines at grocery stores.

    Gnome and KDE finally resolve differences and merge, new name to be KnomE

    Secluded inventor in Guatamala buys entire country a round.

    --
    You will be baked, and there will be cake.
  5. Disappointment? by Halcyon-X · · Score: 3, Funny
    Microsoft expressed disappointment at the verdict

    Why, aren't they usually happy when software patent rights are recognized?

    --

    .sig: Open Source, Open Mind

  6. Re:David vs Goliath by kayen_telva · · Score: 4, Funny

    doesnt bill have that much in his couch ?

  7. Re:MS, good stuff? by aussie_a · · Score: 5, Funny


    Can anyone tell me more about their good/bad experiences regarding IP and Microsoft ?

    Dear rd4tech

    I've had a good experience, and I definitely look forward to future business with them.

    Sincerely

    Carlos Armando Amado

  8. Re:David vs Goliath by BarneyRabble · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sorry, the giant tripped over a giant turtle and spilled some cash.

  9. Re:wow.. silly patent by MynockGuano · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, you can't anymore!

  10. Re:I hate Microsoft, but I hate these guys more by CliffH · · Score: 2, Funny

    Note to self: Send in patent for procedure of applying butter to burnt, toasted, or warm bread for consumption in the a.m.

    --
    sigs are like a box of chocolates, they all suck remove the underscores to email me
  11. Re:David vs Goliath by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "and with one small stone, the giant fell..." ... to his knees laughing.

  12. Real Men of Genius by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Slashdot salutes you Mr. Excel and Access method of transfer inventor guy.

  13. Re:Line them up and shoot them all. by geekee · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry, they'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes.

    --
    Vote for Pedro
  14. He actually gets paid in Windows! by Rsriram · · Score: 2, Funny

    Clarifying the judgement, MS said the inventor would receive more than 1.6 million dollars worth of Windows licenses (non transferable, of course)!

    Isn't this how MS is paying all its fines slapped by various government bodies?

    --
    O this learning! What a thing it is - William Shakespeare
  15. i wanna go home! by jspectre · · Score: 3, Funny

    apple goes to intel!

    microsoft found guilty of patent infringement!

    i've woken up in bizzaro world!

    --

    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

  16. Re:THE PATENT? by qazwsxqazwsx90 · · Score: 2, Funny

    How did you manage to get that far? I stopped after about the the 15th line of the first sentence.

  17. Re:This is ridiculous. by palndrumm · · Score: 3, Funny

    if Excel and Access had been marketed under the same freaking product name

    Microsoft Excess? Sounds oddly appropriate...