I HATE to play devil's advocate here, particularly in defense of (yeck!) Microsoft. But (for those who actually read TFA) if MS purchased licensing for mp3 from Fraunhofer, then they actually did the right thing. Fraunhofer, evil as they are, have had the stranglehold on mp3 since day zero.
IMO Alcatel-Lucent have just successfully scammed some quick $$ off MS.
Specifically from that link (a government link):
Human activities release more than 150 times the amount of CO2 emitted by volcanoes--the equivalent of nearly 17,000 additional volcanoes like Kilauea (Kilauea emits about 13.2 million tonnes/year)!
Although I'm a sucker for these types of "how dare they beat the poor man down" types of articles, and that was my first instinct, if it was his life's dream as the media make it out to be, $25,000 to achieve your life's dream seems worth it.
Maybe I am a cynicist but I can't help but think this story (and if you read his blog, that too) has the disguised smell of "political agenda" written on it.
Whoever wrote this seems entirely clueless about economics. The Commonwealth Bank and its subsidiaries are NOT what you would call expert trading and financial institutions. Its just BIG, due to its history as an ex-government institution, and "supposedly" easy to access (although other banks have far better business hours across all their branches).
Anyway the comparison to the Big Mac Index is apt. They are the banking equivalent of McDonalds (if you can imagine, Big Mac Banking).
Likewise their trading subsidiary, Commmonwealth Securities, are the trading equivalent of McDonalds - they have low fees so are ideal for a cheap purchase where you already know what you wish to purchase. I use them myself for this purpose.
RTFP (p=patent). The patent is NOT for wireless networks. It is for high speed (ie. 10GHz) wireless networks using a specific technology to give those high speeds.
This article from the Inquirer and this one from TLJ shed some light as to what may have happened. Of particular interest is the following:
CSIRO has a US patent on technology for wireless networks and the vendors currently pay it a licence for its use.
The organisation said it obtained the wireless LAN patent in 1996, and it's a standard feature of notebook computers and other devices.
Its chief executive, Geoff Garrett, said that CSIRO offered licences on "reasonable and non-discriminatory terms" to the major vendors when they started selling devices which used the technology.
IANAL, but if the vendors currently already pay the CSIRO a license for its use, wouldn't this imply two things?
1) From the TLJ article, Buffalo was not paying a license and were therefore a suit was raised against them in Feb 2005; but
2) That Dell and Intel are paying the license and are trying to invalidate it so that they don't have to - and therefore raised the suit in May 2005 to that purpose - to which CSIRO have now countersued
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I HATE to play devil's advocate here, particularly in defense of (yeck!) Microsoft. But (for those who actually read TFA) if MS purchased licensing for mp3 from Fraunhofer, then they actually did the right thing. Fraunhofer, evil as they are, have had the stranglehold on mp3 since day zero.
IMO Alcatel-Lucent have just successfully scammed some quick $$ off MS.
In Soviet Russia, extraterrestrials search for you!
Actually I picked up on it and was supporting it...
:p.
However I think the post below didn't pick up on it
Inevitably, the current e-petition with the most signatures involves.... rugby league.
Create more diesel? Not exactly an environment saver, this idea.
Although I'm a sucker for these types of "how dare they beat the poor man down" types of articles, and that was my first instinct, if it was his life's dream as the media make it out to be, $25,000 to achieve your life's dream seems worth it.
Maybe I am a cynicist but I can't help but think this story (and if you read his blog, that too) has the disguised smell of "political agenda" written on it.
The fact that they even needed to state this restores my faith in stupidity.
Anyway the comparison to the Big Mac Index is apt. They are the banking equivalent of McDonalds (if you can imagine, Big Mac Banking).
Likewise their trading subsidiary, Commmonwealth Securities, are the trading equivalent of McDonalds - they have low fees so are ideal for a cheap purchase where you already know what you wish to purchase. I use them myself for this purpose.
In capitalist America, patents drug you.
Totally worth modding up... wish I could.
RTFP (p=patent). The patent is NOT for wireless networks. It is for high speed (ie. 10GHz) wireless networks using a specific technology to give those high speeds.
IANAL, but if the vendors currently already pay the CSIRO a license for its use, wouldn't this imply two things?
1) From the TLJ article, Buffalo was not paying a license and were therefore a suit was raised against them in Feb 2005; but
2) That Dell and Intel are paying the license and are trying to invalidate it so that they don't have to - and therefore raised the suit in May 2005 to that purpose - to which CSIRO have now countersued