Comments on: Microsoft goads Google over Android patent deals

By: Andy Turfer

Andy Turfer — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:32:00 +0000

Why doesn’t anyone stop to question the validity of Microsoft’s claims? Oh wait, that’s because they gag their victims with tight non-disclosure agreements. Barnes & Noble were sensible enough to fight back, and in doing so have exposed the patents Microsoft claims Android violates:

1. ’372 Patent (Web browser background image loading).
2. ’522 Patent (Operating system provided tabs).
3. ’551 Patent (Electronic selection with handles).
4. ’233 Patent (Annotation of electronic documents).
5. ’780 Patent (Web browser loading status icons).

Barnes & Noble have clearly shown prior art and triviality for all of the above.

By: BeholdersEye

BeholdersEye — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Why aren’t any of these of M$ innovations are being ‘tamped’ on, ever listed so we all know what they are, and why Google can not come up with a different techniques? I sure would like to see the list.

By: BeholdersEye

BeholdersEye — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

By: wiz

wiz — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:24:00 +0000

“the internet runs mostly on Linux” – no objections, did not say anything else. There are still “loads and loads of computers with microsoft software on them” in the way as well, though

By: Brenton Mannon

Brenton Mannon — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:49:00 +0000

At least Google buys me good things with my personal data. I’ll take relevant ads over shot-gun ads any day.

By: Todd

Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:59:00 +0000

GTFO! Coming from a Novell smackdown, I had to learn this a long time ago. Microsoft won. Apple is a distraction keeping humanity from greatness. Thank God for Intel otherwise we’d be dealing with AMD and Motorola. If by price reduction you mean shotty, stolen AT&T System 5 derivatives then go for it. I’d suggest that you move to China an enjoy all the Louis Vuitton you can buy. Oy!

By: AppleFUD

AppleFUD — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:57:00 +0000

did you over tighten your tinfoil hate again?

By: AppleFUD

AppleFUD — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:55:00 +0000

More like it just ran through loads and loads of computers with Linux on them–this is the internet and the internet runs mostly on Linux. . . MS has a large market share of “desktop” computers not servers ;)

By: AppleFUD

AppleFUD — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:51:00 +0000

WOW!!! Just WOW!!! You must be very young.

Maybe you should search for the history of the GUI and just how MS got their first OS.

MS & Apple are THE two biggest thieves on the planet when it comes to IP theft.

By: AppleFUD

AppleFUD — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:47:00 +0000

Yeah, sure. . . MS & Apple should get paid or be able to block innovation with software patents because both those companies built their companies by stealing. . . wait for it. . . software IP at a time when software patents were rarely if ever awarded, thus they both built big companies and patented other peoples’ & companies’ ideas and are now trying to use those same patents to either block other companies form competing or to basically tax their products.

It isn’t about if “Google is good or fair” it’s about the system being fubared and MS & Apple using that system in a malicious way. I know. . I know, don’t hate the player hate the game. BS! A system can’t have morals or ethics, only people can and those people carry them into their companies–seems the leaders at apple & ms left their morals and ethics behind.

So, hate the system and hate the companies that abuse the system and as consumers boycott those companies till they develop some morals and ethics.

Companies today should be able to develop their companies with the same freedoms that apple & ms had when developing their companies–just because they’ve paid a lot of government officials off to get rules and regulations that favor them isn’t a reason to look the other way.As far as “annoyingly ignorant and naive” well, it sounds like you have that covered.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:10:00 +0000

For smaller companies, maybe. But not Samsung, who has a large IP portfolio at their disposal and deep pockets to fight if they want.

By: eEk

eEk — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:54:00 +0000

dude how old are you?!? You read someone’s opinion on something he does not have the slightest clue of which itself is about something that noone has insight into… and base your opinion off of that?!? What are you thinking?? Do you think HTC and LG and Samsung and whoever just WANTS to pay ms royalties? Has it ever occured to you that they might be right and should be paid for what they invented? Heck, what do I know – but not buying a product because you think google is a ‘good’ or ‘fair’ company is just annoyingly ignorant and naive!

By: right...

right... — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Obviously, you do not sue a computer for work. Plus you better stop typing this rubbish on a blog like this, because this just ran through loads and loads of computers with microsoft software on them.

By: right...

right... — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:49:00 +0000

Yes, in your little black-and-white wonderland that we all wish for that is true. Live happy in your ignorance and believe in the good company google. Man how naive can you be…

By: right...

right... — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:46:00 +0000

” I can’t understand why anyone would ever choose to use Windows for phones or computers.” If you truly cannot understand that you are in deep trouble and get a health check.

By: whatever

whatever — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:27:00 +0000

LOL, reading some of these comments here it sounds as if you kids think Google is run by mother Theresa – and not by a board whose principal business model is to sell off your personal data in form of location logging, email crawling etc etc. You guys are so clueless it is funny. But sure. microsoft = ze baad and google = ze good (hell yeah, they must be nice, they wear sneakers!). Single best marketing spin of the last decade – congratulations to fall for it…

By: Michael Creighton

Michael Creighton — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:33:00 +0000

Yeah, “GO MICROSOFT!!!” Trample the consumer! Join Apple & Oracle in piling on to ruin everything before people notice what a great deal Google & the OS community gave everyone with Android. It’s not like anyone appreciates the price reducing effect Android/Linux has on the whole phone market.

By: Michael Creighton

Michael Creighton — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:54:00 +0000

Yeah there is just no way Windows Phone could be anything but garbage considering this is how M$ ‘competes’ in the market. Microsoft cannot stand to compete in a free market. In business, especially technology, patents ARE weapons! (Obviously!) Microsoft is just a particularly fat corporate troll. I can’t understand why anyone would ever choose to use Windows for phones or computers.

By: Random HW guy

Random HW guy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:11:00 +0000

“I’m guessing that level is zero.”
I am in the industry, and sadly, you are wrong. MS is going after the _manufacturing companies_ with their patent agreements. And they are winning, not because the patents are strong, but because the legal system is messed up, and showing that they are invalid is crippling.

So you cannot get a tablet or phone built by any passable manufacturer without being forced to pay the MS-patents-over-android tax.

By: Ask Baldy

Ask Baldy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:12:00 +0000

good to know because i dont own any macs…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:11:00 +0000

”
But please bringing a little misery into the lives of Tim Cook and Steve Ballmer. It would be so welcome.”

I’m sure they’ve seen the market share numbers. lol.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Yep… I suspect the royalties are tiny… They just want them to sign to validate their claims.

By: Counsel Dew

Counsel Dew — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Actually, the decision just as likely could have been made re costs of proving MS wrong in litigation… Since we don’t know exactly why they agreed, we shouldn’t assume anything.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:26:00 +0000

So the truth is out the little people have to pay more for these devices cause the millions of dollars spent on legal. Stop suing each other make it better and get money from us. Simple if you have the better one then you win if not try harder. I have downloaded all 3 phones and the code is changes over 20% heck not even the same language. yes the idea is there look at what happened when Microsoft became a monopoly and were forced to split of divisions freaking prices went up.

By: Counsel Dew

Counsel Dew — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:22:00 +0000

Wow…Really? On Twitter of all places? Fail :)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:16:00 +0000

Why should there be? Microsoft and the companies that licensed (LG, Samsung, HTC and others) are fully aware of the patents and their functionality. That’s all that matters since they are the ones agreeing to pony up and pay MS.

Or are you actually niave enough to think that these companies agreed to pay without seeing the patents in quetion?

By: plunder

plunder — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:14:00 +0000

Mr Apple says: “We will NEVER licence our IP to you artless fools. Stop using it, or we will sue!” Meanwhile Mr Microsoft says: “Go ahead punk, make my day. Pay us millions or we will bury you in legal shit for decades LOL.”

Naturally part of my Android 1.6 soul reaches for a blunderbuss to send these monsters straight to hell! But everyone in this game has some IP, or wants to defend their hard won turf. In a civilisation rules are essential; but they must be sane and practical rules – Are They?

I hope Google act effectively but rationally, to defend their child “Android” from the monsters above; without “going thermonuclear war” on the SOBs. . . But please bringing a little misery into the lives of Tim Cook and Steve Ballmer. It would be so welcome.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:12:00 +0000

Some of the things in software that people are allowed to patent are just ridiculous. They should be reserved for truly novel software designs, not just things that anyone could come up with.

By: Billy Bob Gates

Billy Bob Gates — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:11:00 +0000

and Microsoft stole from Apple whole stole from Xerox who stole from CPM who stole from Moses who begat Noah whose sons Cain & Abel invented the wheel… yada friggin’ yada…

We live in a world of revisionist history and the problem is companies like MicroShaft exploit patent laws knowing that eventually someone else will actually build what they couldn’t, then they’ll sue them over it and make more $$$… This planet needs a reboot.. too many TSR’s in the legal system…

By: Jacqueline El-Nil

Jacqueline El-Nil — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:10:00 +0000

If you want to practice law, get a license.
The Android army knows something that you don’t…that’s why they are glad to pay.
If you enjoy using said products, by all means do so. But to measure one’s self worth by some plastic and glass device that changes every Tuesday at 3:29 pm like clock work…

By: Zeus de Crete

Zeus de Crete — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:02:00 +0000

It’s quite simple. Microsoft built an entire industry on the patent troll licensing model – Google didn’t. Google is built on open standards, a direct threat to the paten-troll licensing model. By engaging Google in a patent-war, Microsoft simply self fullfilling their prophecy that their model is the only way to go. There is no option but to lawyer up and patent-troll in order to counter Microsoft’s insistence in an outdated model.

By: Todd

Todd — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Tank and Spank! GO MICROSOFT!!!

By: Ghetto

Ghetto — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:56:00 +0000

ideas and tech from microsoft? you mean generic patents from 1995 referring to “ways to store and read data” or some bs crap like that?

and lulz at the iphone knockoff. ever since apple has started copying nearly all the features of android, apple and their fanbois lose the right to say anything about android being a knockoff.

By: kamereon

kamereon — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:55:00 +0000

Not that I was raring to buy any Microsoft product, but now I’m far less inclined to do so. Specifically, my girlfriend asked me to buy an X-Box – yeah, not going to happen now.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:55:00 +0000

I was glad to hear that Barnes & Noble refused to sign that NDA with M$ when they were being sued over the Nook. They then revealed what we all suspected about M$’s claims over Android: that they were specious at best.

By: Felipe

Felipe — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:53:00 +0000

Hmnn … But you are not supposed to use someone’s work without their permission though.

By: Rivendellranger

Rivendellranger — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:53:00 +0000

Lets all boycott microsoft

By: Ask Baldy

Ask Baldy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:44:00 +0000

Yes Google innovates by taking ideas and tech that Microsoft created and putting them on there iPhone knock off hmm…

By: Seth

Seth — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

You know all this is a bunch of BS when there is never any mention of the specific functionality covered by the patents.

By: James Sheridan

James Sheridan — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Did anyone read the linked patent apple recently won against htc? There has to be some prior art as it seems like a simple common process necessary for anyone interfacing with a computer. There must be some old C binaries that perform similar actions. What are these guys patenting every program they write now? I could see maybe copyright, but programs are an odd thing to patent. Too general.