Microsoft Loses Second Word Appeal, Owes $240M

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[citation][nom]tomtompiper[/nom]Microsoft will win in the end, unfortunately money talks.[/citation]
Yuppers...that's how it worked for them when sued by U.S. government years ago!
 
"Soon after the verdict was made public in August, court documents revealed that not only did Microsoft know about the infringement, the company hoped to render i4i's product obsolete with newer versions of Office."

That's funny. M$ steals i4i's patented technology and tries to run them into the ground with it. Kind of like...when M$ took Java and made Visual J# which failed trying to make an open-source technology a M$. Or the Iso program that had open-source code in it...and M$ turned it into proprietary code. Hell, I could go on...
 
They need to make software patents go away, period. And need to make it where if a patent holder doesn't make a product or service within 2 years of a patent being granted, the patent is nullified.
 
I wonder if Microsoft checked to see if all i4i machines had genuine versions of windows installed and not pirated versions. Hilarity could ensue were it not the case.

I'm no MS fanboi, but i4i is just a patent troll. I know plenty of people who work for companies like that. They do R&D without any intention of marketing their products and then sit on em waiting for one of the big players to slightly infringe on the patent so they can sue.
 
[citation][nom]falconqc[/nom]I wonder if Microsoft checked to see if all i4i machines had genuine versions of windows installed and not pirated versions. Hilarity could ensue were it not the case.I'm no MS fanboi, but i4i is just a patent troll. I know plenty of people who work for companies like that. They do R&D without any intention of marketing their products and then sit on em waiting for one of the big players to slightly infringe on the patent so they can sue.[/citation]


[citation][nom]Marth[/nom]They need to make software patents go away, period. And need to make it where if a patent holder doesn't make a product or service within 2 years of a patent being granted, the patent is nullified.[/citation]


to both of you i4i has products that use the xml patents
 
[citation][nom]falconqc[/nom]I wonder if Microsoft checked to see if all i4i machines had genuine versions of windows installed and not pirated versions. Hilarity could ensue were it not the case.I'm no MS fanboi, but i4i is just a patent troll. I know plenty of people who work for companies like that. They do R&D without any intention of marketing their products and then sit on em waiting for one of the big players to slightly infringe on the patent so they can sue.[/citation]
it doesn't matters how dirty i4i are matter to the fact, microsoft was convicted in software stealing... if they considering them self as an huge software company, then they should either not get caught or stop stealing other's code.
 
[citation][nom]Daggs[/nom]it doesn't matters how dirty i4i are matter to the fact, microsoft was convicted in software stealing... if they considering them self as an huge software company, then they should either not get caught or stop stealing other's code.[/citation]

Are they stealing code, or just doing something as vaguely defined in a patent?

I'm pretty sure SenseUI didn't steal any code, but Apple is suing them because it uses their 'patented' two finger gesturing style.



I've noticed that in the tech field, companies are able to get away with using vague patents to bully people. Most likely because the judges aren't particularly knowledgable about a subject.

I think they should have a group of specially trained judges that have a better understanding of the underlying subject matter some day.
 
Screw these lawsuits against MS. I'm gettign really sick of everyone suing the most amazing computer company in the world. Show some respect, we wouldn't even be close to where we are today without MS. Like them or not, that fact is undeniable. They are not perfect, no company is. But constantly cashing out on them with lawsuits will be their downfall. I wouldn't be surprised if the mission statement for some of these small companies is to find a way to nail MS for some copyright or monopoloy infringement. Scumballs.
 
Under the current system i4i sounds like they have a case and are winning, it doesn't matter if they're making products with their IP or just patent trolling.

Ideally I'd rather undo this whole system, software patents need to be much more limited (like 2 years tops) and that's it. After that it should become public domain, because IMO with software you're retarding the entire user experience to the point it becomes harmful to the entire human race which uses software. Most importantly it prevents open source from moving forward either, and the bad part is that when the open source guys come up with patentable technology it usually doesn't get patented.

Secondly how can someone hold xml pattents? XML is supposedly an open standard held and published by W3C. Did i4i really come up with some novel idea that is strictly xml related? I doubt it. I'd really like to hear more about these patents. Even if we don't nuke the entire patent system as it stands right now, there need to be some massive changes to how patents are awarded.

Bottom line is that i4i sounds like they have a legit case and they're winning. Sucks for MS and sucks for the rest of the consumers but that's our legal system and it's not all perfect.
 
Damn the justice system slams Microsoft like its cool or something.
I bet they're all mac users. Seriously i think i would buy a mac just so it can get a virus and sue apple for false advertisement. The payment you ask?
all i want is for jobs to say that "apple products are overpriced". *sigh a man can dream can't he?
 
[citation][nom]falconqc[/nom]I'm no MS fanboi, but i4i is just a patent troll. I know plenty of people who work for companies like that. They do R&D without any intention of marketing their products and then sit on em waiting for one of the big players to slightly infringe on the patent so they can sue.[/citation]

I do agree but beg differ perspective. Microsoft already knew about this. Heck, they even meet the i4i and purposely implement that technology to render i4i obsolete. Normally I have neutral stand when Microsoft is involved, but this action is really irresponsible. Microsoft, if they really want to use that technology, they can acquire it. They have the capability. Instead, they choose to do this way and purposely do so.

And because of their intention, ignorance and purposely doing this, I believe Microsoft should be fined.
 

Nope, we'd be well ahead of where we are now. MS, Apple, Adobe etc all hold back the industry with patents and proprietary garbage.
 
[citation][nom]expertester[/nom]I do agree but beg differ perspective. Microsoft already knew about this. Heck, they even meet the i4i and purposely implement that technology to render i4i obsolete. Normally I have neutral stand when Microsoft is involved, but this action is really irresponsible. Microsoft, if they really want to use that technology, they can acquire it. They have the capability. Instead, they choose to do this way and purposely do so.And because of their intention, ignorance and purposely doing this, I believe Microsoft should be fined.[/citation]

In Big Business, sometimes you go ahead and steal code, and wager the settlement will be less expensive than the acquisition. Here MS gambled, and probably lost. To them, however, it's just the "lose some" part of the "win some, lose some" philosophy.
 
Some people make me laugh, unfortunately an electronic device that does something similar and a code are not the same thing. How much coincidence do you think there is for 2 companies to create the same code (or write the same thing) and call it the same thing (XML) I'm sorry but no matter how you put it and say that i4i is was just waiting for something to vaguely copy it, just does not cut it here. Especially when Microsoft states in the letter, they had previously met with i4i and told them that their product was going to make theirs obsolete and well your product may be good just for XP. LOL I mean with threats like that, who the heck would not sue? I don't really want to pick sides, but there is no way they came up with the same coding and so happens to call it the same thing. Even electronics that do similar things are called differently and are some how build a bit different, they just accomplish the same thing. Coding that is compatible with each other pretty much needs to be written the same way or written with the other one in mind, because no matter how you look at it XML is XML and run it on i4i or Microsoft product it's the same thing. Also it is not the first time Microsoft as been called out on this, a little to many times, plus also slapped in the hand for monopoly in the past, nothing new.

Also some people may want to watch Pirates of Silicon Valley, This is just how Microsoft started as a company, and Apple, big pirates both of them, with such memorable quotes has "Good artists copy, great artists steal." LOL
 
[citation][nom]expertester[/nom]I do agree but beg differ perspective. Microsoft already knew about this. Heck, they even meet the i4i and purposely implement that technology to render i4i obsolete. Normally I have neutral stand when Microsoft is involved, but this action is really irresponsible. Microsoft, if they really want to use that technology, they can acquire it. They have the capability. Instead, they choose to do this way and purposely do so.And because of their intention, ignorance and purposely doing this, I believe Microsoft should be fined.[/citation]

I second what expertester says.
MS does those things on purpose.
It Is bullying big ecosystems. It's time MS gets fined a lot more.
Not because I'm against that company for some reason, just because MS is doing crappy things and should be brought to justice.
(Punished for will fully infringment and a whole bunch of other stuff.)
 
To clarify here everyone is saying Microsoft was convicted of "Stealing" software. In fact that's not the case in most software patent cases. What happens is someone at MS comes up with a similar idea and implements it into their software. Later they find out it has already been done and has a patent on it.

These companies certainly don't have access to everyone else's code for stealing. As you can see in the line:

"We saw [i4i's products] some time ago and met its creators. Word 11 will make it obsolete," said Sawicki. "It looks great for XP though," he added.

This is pretty clearly a case of "we came up with the idea too late" not actual code theft. Unfortunately in software design, good ideas are commonplace and not restricted to a single person in the entire world. Patents on code should only be enforced if the code is stolen, not if someone else comes up with the idea on their own.
 
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