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Microsoft to Pay $1.52 Billion in Patent Suit Damages

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the coughing-up-the-dough dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A U.S. federal jury found that Microsoft Corp. infringed audio patents held by Alcatel-Lucent and should pay $1.52 billion in damages, Microsoft said Thursday. The news comes after reports that U.S. Supreme Court justices expressed doubts about whether Microsoft Corp. should be liable for infringing AT&T Inc. patents in Windows software sold overseas."

18 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Which way will /. go? by gravesb · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft being penalized or software patents being eliminated? Its like torture! Which way will we go!

    --
    http://bgcommonsense.blogspot.com
    1. Re:Which way will /. go? by maxume · · Score: 2, Funny

      Services, all the way down.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    2. Re:Which way will /. go? by mgiuca · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wait wait, is this beer free as in beer? I think RMS goes for the other kind...

  2. Black Books by Stevecrox · · Score: 3, Funny

    I dunno I just have to hope when I flip the coin it explodes and kills me

  3. Indemnification by andy314159pi · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah I offered them an Alcatel-Lucent MP3 patent Indemnification plan but they said I was just trying to shake them down.

  4. Bill Gates' response by Yeechang+Lee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bill Gates gets a call while he and his wife are having dinner out. Gates' response after hanging up:

    "Honey? I'll be right back. Steve needs $1.5B so I'm going to go to the ATM across the street. He's waiting outs--I think that's him honking. Can you order the chocolate cake for me for dessert?"

    1. Re:Bill Gates' response by Glacial+Wanderer · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Honey? I'll be right back. Steve needs $1.5B so I'm going to go to the ATM across the street. He's waiting outs--I think that's him honking. Can you order the chocolate cake for me for dessert?"

      Assuming that ATM distributed $20 bills Bill just carried 82 tons of cash from the ATM to Steve's car. I guess he's spent some his of change under his sofa on cybernetic enhancements.

      --
      Hobby Robotics
  5. Re:Just another nail in the coffin by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 5, Funny
    Well, sure. A company should focus on their core strengths.

    --
    You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
  6. I'm scared by Neon+Aardvark · · Score: 5, Funny

    Patents are evil. Microsoft is evil.

    Therefore, Microsoft being slightly hurt because of a patent infrigement ruling == neutral and we can all go home and have a nice cup of tea.

    PS I'm scared because my last post was modded "flamebait", possibly because I accidentally called Canada the "People's Republic of Canuckistan". That hurt.

    --
    Azural - instrumentals
  7. Tomorrow's headline by defile · · Score: 2, Funny

    Federal reserve system collapses on Lucent's deposit of Microsoft check.

  8. Re:Just another nail in the coffin by JonWan · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm waiting for thr RIAA or MPAA to sue them because "The Windows operating system facilitates copyright infringement".

  9. save that goddam chair by GlitchyBits · · Score: 5, Funny

    Tough days for chairs ...

  10. Yoda would say ... by mochan_s · · Score: 2, Funny

    Has begun, the patent wars.

    1. Re:Yoda would say ... by JoGlo · · Score: 4, Funny
      Begun, the Patent Wars, have!

      There. Is that better?

      --
      Will those of you who think that you know what you are doing, get out of the way of those of us who know what we are doi
    2. Re:Yoda would say ... by mrbluze · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe more like..

      Patent wars.. You seek patent wars!... Begun, they have.. hmmm... Take you to them I will.. yesss... Good entertainment... come!

      --
      Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  11. Re:Just another nail in the coffin by steveoc · · Score: 2, Funny

    Im waiting for the RIAA to sue the MPAA for having a name that sounds similar.

    (or is that the other way around)

    The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

  12. Stupid-ass moderation on many of these comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    In other news, in addition to fashioning crude weapons from pointed sticks, chimpanzees apparently have been granted mod points.

  13. No problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If they bought a license, what's the big deal ? All they need to do is recover the relevant emails from their backups.