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Microsoft Sues Salesforce.com Over Patents

Posted by kdawson on from the few-selected-gems-from-the-collection dept.

WrongSizeGlass writes "CNET is reporting that Microsoft is suing Salesforce.com in Seattle federal court, claiming it infringes on nine patents. Two of the patents in question are a 'system and method for providing and displaying a Web page having an embedded menu' and a 'method and system for stacking toolbars in a computer display.'" Microsoft says it first notified Salesforce more than a year ago about the alleged infringement.

3 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What's the angle? by Yo+Grark · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes, SF continues to win contracts from Dynamics or whatever MS is calling their latest CRM this week.

    SF are just WAY too nimble in their catering to companies needs while MS expects companies to buy upgraded hardware, software, consultants, etc to conform data to THEIR system.

    SF: Here you go, we figured out how to provide x for no extra charge.
    MS: Sorry we can't do that without $100,000 and even then there's no guarantee.

    So yeah, SF is kickin MS's a$$ets and putting their attempts at a CRM to shame.

    Next up, MS buys SF.com. *sigh*

    - Yo Grark

    --
    Canadian Bred with American Buttering
  2. Re:What's the angle? by mjwx · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, SF continues to win contracts from Dynamics or whatever MS is calling their latest CRM this week.

    SaleForce.com is winning customers away from Dynamics because Dynamics is an absolute pile of crap. If you managed to wade though the absolutely stupid way to customise Dynamics 3.0 you quickly found out that you needed to start from scratch again with 4.0 because MS changed everything and it's still a pile of crap.

    Businesses wont use Dynamics despite MS giving away free licenses with every MAPS and partner subscription.

    Oh, and the reasons the parent mentioned.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  3. Re:Patent Armageddon? by NickFortune · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I thought these two were kinda well behaved and used patents only as a defensive measure, guess I was wrong.

    That's a good point. Wasn't it only yesterday that we had a half dozen MS apologists stepping forward to explain how Microsoft only ever used Patents defensively and would never ever ever use them offensively?

    Everyone who made that claim, go stand at the back of the class. You know who you are.

    --
    Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!