3 ms·
I am glad that a patent troll has directly attacked one of the software giants. Now hopefully Microsoft with its deep pockets and legal team can crush this trol
by tsycho 14y ago
I am glad that a patent troll has directly attacked one of the software giants. Now hopefully Microsoft with its deep pockets and legal team can crush this troll.
- anonymfus 14y agoMicrosoft lose in such cases surprisingly often. Smart Tags in Office, onclick activation of plugins in IE...
- Dirlewanger 14y agoYup. Fuck, they lost their right to use "Metro" to describe their now "Modern-UI style." MASSIVE fuck up in my opinion. Microsoft should have raided the coffers to protect using that term.
- neurotech1 14y agoAgreed it was a massive SNAFU. Metro AG is a huge corp, based in Germany, that wasn't interested in licensing the 'Metro' trademark to MS in a settlement. I don't think any dollar amount was mentioned for continued use of Metro.
- thwarted 14y agoAnd wasn't click activation of plugins the change they had to make to avoid the Eolas patent on automatic execution of embedded content (going back to the 90s here)?
- neurotech1 14y agoThe Smart Tags lawsuit had some merit to it. They adopted the idea only after it was shown to them, and they refused to license it. The Eolas case was BS though. The patent was based on rewording the description of existing technology. If memory serves me correctly. Microsofts own OCX technology was prior art for the concept. Eolas claimed that by applying their concept to the web, it was novel and non-obvious.
- machrider 14y agoIt doesn't actually do much good to "crush" this company, right? They started this company around one set of patents. They can start other companies for other patents. The act of incorporating shields them from losing much in the case of having to cover legal costs for the defendant.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- indiecore 14y agoThey will probably just pay them off, it's simpler.
- imglorp 14y agoIt's doubly in Microsoft's interest to settle. First, the troll goes away without a more expensive a jury trial to invalidate the patent. But more importantly, the troll will take that intact patent and its now overflowing coffers and go off after Microsoft's competitors. So it's a twofer. Bet on it.
- mullingitover 14y agoDon't the sales reps in the MS stores claim "No other mobile OS has live tiles"?
- rbanffy 14y agoTheyll just license it for an undisclosed amount and empower the troll to go after someone else.