Microsoft Screws The Pooch?

[CrimsonJim]

Microsoft ordered to stop selling Word

A federal court in Texas has ordered Microsoft to stop selling Microsoft Word.
Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, ruled yesterday in favor of Toronto-based i4i, stating that Microsoft unlawfully infringed the Canadian company’s patent.

At a jury trial that began on May 11, representatives for i4i said that Microsoft’s use of Word 2007 for processing XML documents with custom XML elements “willfully” infringed i4i’s Patent 449.

The ruling prohibits Microsoft from selling or importing to the U.S. any Word products that have the capability of opening XML, .DOCX or DOCM files that contain custom XML.

The ruling is set to go into effect in 60 days. The judge has also granted an award and damages of $290 million to i4i.

“We are disappointed by the court’s ruling,” said Kevin Kutz, a Microsoft spokesman. “We believe the evidence clearly demonstrated that we do not infringe and that the i4i patent is invalid. We will appeal the verdict.”

http://gcn.com/articles/2009/08/12/m...cndaily_130809

[Petro-Sooner]

Apple.

[jkjsooner]

I'm not Microsoft defender. They've clearly used unethical and illegal practices over the years. That being said, the whole patent system - especially as it related to software - is a mess. We've gone from a system where patents encourage innovation to one where it stifles innovation.

They say now that it's almost impossible to write any meaningful software without unknowingly infringing on someone else's patent. We (US and many other countries) are patenting things which in my opinion are too obvious and do not warrant patent protection.

Open standards create something like XML. Then guys out there run around applying for patents on everything they can related to it. Let's see, using XML to configure or communicate with voice switches. Let's patent it! Using XML to control traffic lights - patent. Using XML to describe electrical connections - patent. It's ridiculous. These are not unique or individual ideas. (I'm making all this up so I don't know if these could be patented but you get my idea.)

I work in IVR systems. Some guy about 30 years ago wrote these really cryptic patents about integrating voice enabled electronics with back end systems (databases, etc). Now anyone who has an IVR system and talks to a database or communicates with a system that connects to call centers has to pay this guy tens of thousands of dollars. He never created anything yet he's a billionare. His "unique idea" was just a natural consequence of integrating different systems together. In no way was his idea revolutionary nor did it contribute at all to innovation.

[crawfish]

Apple.

Great, except I can't buy their best word processor now.

[MR2-Sooner86]

Great, except I can't buy their best word processor now.

That's why you get Pages

[landrun]

I'm not Microsoft defender. They've clearly used unethical and illegal practices over the years. That being said, the whole patent system - especially as it related to software - is a mess. We've gone from a system where patents encourage innovation to one where it stifles innovation.

They say now that it's almost impossible to write any meaningful software without unknowingly infringing on someone else's patent. We (US and many other countries) are patenting things which in my opinion are too obvious and do not warrant patent protection.

Open standards create something like XML. Then guys out there run around applying for patents on everything they can related to it. Let's see, using XML to configure or communicate with voice switches. Let's patent it! Using XML to control traffic lights - patent. Using XML to describe electrical connections - patent. It's ridiculous. These are not unique or individual ideas. (I'm making all this up so I don't know if these could be patented but you get my idea.)

I work in IVR systems. Some guy about 30 years ago wrote these really cryptic patents about integrating voice enabled electronics with back end systems (databases, etc). Now anyone who has an IVR system and talks to a database or communicates with a system that connects to call centers has to pay this guy tens of thousands of dollars. He never created anything yet he's a billionare. His "unique idea" was just a natural consequence of integrating different systems together. In no way was his idea revolutionary nor did it contribute at all to innovation.

Exactly. I heard about a company who tried to get a patent on an ecommerce application they developed that used the query string of a URL. They didn't create the browser, url or the concept of using the query string or anything of the sort.

Its like these companies are getting a patent on using a wheel to move a vehicle.

[yermom]

Google Apps or Open Office

YWIA

i find this hilarious, especially since i got so annoyed when people would send out those Office 2007 docs that couldn't be opened by anything else at the time

i'm sure it won't last though

[King Crimson]

i got so annoyed when people would send out those Office 2007 docs that couldn't be opened by anything else at the time

that was pretty annoying for me with students.

i use Open Office on my netbook and it's perfectly fine....i like it.

[Sooner_Bob]

Google Apps or Open Office

YWIA

i find this hilarious, especially since i got so annoyed when people would send out those Office 2007 docs that couldn't be opened by anything else at the time

i'm sure it won't last though

How do you like Google Apps? I have Open Office on my kids computer, but haven't played around with Google Apps.

[yermom]

i love Google Apps. i can update a file on my Linux desktop and see it from my Windows laptop at home, or from a Mac, or whatever, wherever

i think that's kinda the basis of the Chrome OS that should be out next year

[Chuck Bao]

This is a side issue, but one that is related and I wanted to start a thread on this topic except I'm sure I'd be ridiculed.

I have been wanting to buy a new computer for a month already. I just need a new CPU since I already have a large flat screen monitor. I went to my neighborhood Big C (like a super large Wal-marts). They had the CPU that I wanted but no operating system. They offered to installed a copied Microsoft windows and I refused that. I next went to Power Buy and they had the same story. I went to Siam Paragon Department Store and they told me that I could buy the licensed software at IT City and they'd install it.

The net of it is that the software cost Bt10,000 ($294) and the CPU Bt14,000 ($412). I wasn't aware that software is now starting to cost more than hardware. What is up with that?

The whole copy thing is bad, but it also has to be economical and practical without paying off huge copyright payments to the first in on pretty standard and obvious copyright stuff.

[soonerhubs]

This is a side issue, but one that is related and I wanted to start a thread on this topic except I'm sure I'd be ridiculed.

I have been wanting to buy a new computer for a month already. I just need a new CPU since I already have a large flat screen monitor. I went to my neighborhood Big C (like a super large Wal-marts). They had the CPU that I wanted but no operating system. They offered to installed a copied Microsoft windows and I refused that. I next went to Power Buy and they had the same story. I went to Siam Paragon Department Store and they told me that I could buy the licensed software at IT City and they'd install it.

The net of it is that the software cost Bt10,000 ($294) and the CPU Bt14,000 ($412). I wasn't aware that software is now starting to cost more than hardware. What is up with that?

The whole copy thing is bad, but it also has to be economical and practical without paying off huge copyright payments to the first in on pretty standard and obvious copyright stuff.

Ubuntu is your friend. MS can stick it!

[yermom]

generally the only way i buy Windows is with the MS tax on a new OEM computer...

i can vouch for Ubuntu, but i still prefer Fedora most of the time

[GrapevineSooner]

This is a side issue, but one that is related and I wanted to start a thread on this topic except I'm sure I'd be ridiculed.

I have been wanting to buy a new computer for a month already. I just need a new CPU since I already have a large flat screen monitor. I went to my neighborhood Big C (like a super large Wal-marts). They had the CPU that I wanted but no operating system. They offered to installed a copied Microsoft windows and I refused that. I next went to Power Buy and they had the same story. I went to Siam Paragon Department Store and they told me that I could buy the licensed software at IT City and they'd install it.

The net of it is that the software cost Bt10,000 ($294) and the CPU Bt14,000 ($412). I wasn't aware that software is now starting to cost more than hardware. What is up with that?

The whole copy thing is bad, but it also has to be economical and practical without paying off huge copyright payments to the first in on pretty standard and obvious copyright stuff.

By CPU, I'm assuming you mean the computer, right.

Everytime a user would call me and make that mistake, the urge to go BOFH on them was pretty high.

As in.

Me: That's unusual for a CPU to do that, maam. How big is it.

User: Oh, about two feet high by just less than a foot.

Me: Wow, I haven't seen a CPU that big since the days they used vacuum tubes. You must have a really old computer.

User: What?

[tbl]

Open Office

[King Crimson]

Ubuntu is your friend. MS can stick it!

i dumped XP on my new netbook and use eeebuntu. it's a good little OS. i'll probably switch the other two machines to Ubuntu someday.

[Chuck Bao]

For the record, I didn't call it that at first. It was the sales agents calling it that. I was calling it a PC without a monitor. Maybe CPU in Thai language means something different in a very broad sense. I did manage to buy the thing, whatever it is called, and I'm thankful that I finally got what I needed without knowing the damn thing's name. My computer: I'm sure that it will get a few more profane names when all is said and done..