4 ms·

I know we're probably going to see a lot of "Wha? Microsoft are a bunch of hypocrites!" in this thread and I urge everyone to just think of how great things wou

by bpm140 16y ago

I know we're probably going to see a lot of "Wha? Microsoft are a bunch of hypocrites!" in this thread and I urge everyone to just think of how great things would be going forward if we can see some changes like this. We can't change the past, but we can sure as hell change the future. Glad to see MS trying to lend a hand.

frisco 16y ago
This is Microsoft trying to invalidate a patent they don't like, not them "trying to lend a hand". It just happens to overlap with our interests. Which is exactly what they should be doing, as a corporation.
- InclinedPlane 16y ago
  Microsoft doesn't have a history of patent lawsuit trolling. To the degree that Microsoft does seek software patents it is generally as a matter of defense against other large corporations. I think the possibility that MS might be trying to do the right thing here, for everybody not just themselves, is reasonably high and shouldn't be dismissed. At the end of the day MS is a developer centric company, they pride themselves on the ability to make things, and patents are an annoying side show to that.
  - TwoSheds 16y ago
    There were at least these cases which seem trollish: MS vs. TomTom http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/chewing-the-fat-in-the-microsoft-vs-tomtom-case/2241 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/chewing-the-fat-in-the-m... MS vs. Salesforce http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2341-microsoft-patent-trolls-salesforce http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2341-microsoft-patent-trolls-...
    - nene 16y ago
      Indeed... Believing Microsoft won't patent-troll is like believing Oracle when they say'd they're against Software Patents. It's just a matter of time when some CEO will notice a good opportunity to make money with patents. But I digress... Currently Microsoft isn't doing anything evil. Making software patents harder to get is clearly a step in the right direction. But it's far from Microsoft saving us all from software patents.
      - praptak 16y ago
        "Currently Microsoft isn't doing anything evil." Heh, heh: http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_on_the_issues/archive/2010/10/01/microsoft-sues-motorola-over-android-patent-infringements.aspx http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_on_the_issues/archive/2... No longer true.
eneveu 16y ago
Wha? Microsoft are a bunch of hypocrites! http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1748220 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1748220

by bpm140 16y ago

frisco 16y ago

This is Microsoft trying to invalidate a patent they don't like, not them "trying to lend a hand". It just happens to overlap with our interests. Which is exactly what they should be doing, as a corporation.

InclinedPlane 16y ago
Microsoft doesn't have a history of patent lawsuit trolling. To the degree that Microsoft does seek software patents it is generally as a matter of defense against other large corporations. I think the possibility that MS might be trying to do the right thing here, for everybody not just themselves, is reasonably high and shouldn't be dismissed. At the end of the day MS is a developer centric company, they pride themselves on the ability to make things, and patents are an annoying side show to that.
- TwoSheds 16y ago
  There were at least these cases which seem trollish: MS vs. TomTom http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/chewing-the-fat-in-the-microsoft-vs-tomtom-case/2241 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/chewing-the-fat-in-the-m... MS vs. Salesforce http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2341-microsoft-patent-trolls-salesforce http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2341-microsoft-patent-trolls-...
  - nene 16y ago
    Indeed... Believing Microsoft won't patent-troll is like believing Oracle when they say'd they're against Software Patents. It's just a matter of time when some CEO will notice a good opportunity to make money with patents. But I digress... Currently Microsoft isn't doing anything evil. Making software patents harder to get is clearly a step in the right direction. But it's far from Microsoft saving us all from software patents.
    - praptak 16y ago
      "Currently Microsoft isn't doing anything evil." Heh, heh: http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_on_the_issues/archive/2010/10/01/microsoft-sues-motorola-over-android-patent-infringements.aspx http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_on_the_issues/archive/2... No longer true.

eneveu 16y ago

Wha? Microsoft are a bunch of hypocrites! http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1748220 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1748220