Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 5th Jul 2011 22:12 UTC
"One of Microsoft's hottest new profit centers is a smartphone platform you've definitely heard of: Android. Google's Linux-based mobile operating system is a favorite target for Microsoft's patent attorneys, who are suing numerous Android vendors and just today announced that another manufacturer has agreed to write checks to Microsoft every time it ships an Android device. Microsoft's latest target is Wistron Corp., which has signed a patent agreement 'that provides broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio for Wistron's tablets, mobile phones, e-readers and other consumer devices running the Android or Chrome platform', Microsoft announced." That's the reality we live in, folks. This is at least as criminal - if not more so - than Microsoft's monopoly abuse late last century. After the Nortel crap, it's completely left the black helicopter camp for me: Microsoft, Apple, and several others are working together to fight Android the only way they know how: with underhand mafia tactics. Absolutely sickening. Hey Anonymous, are you listening? YES I WENT THERE.
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RE[3]: Patents are patents
by Thom_Holwerda on Tue 5th Jul 2011 22:53
in reply to "RE[2]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2005-06-29
RE[4]: Patents are patents
by BluenoseJake on Tue 5th Jul 2011 23:08
in reply to "RE[3]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2005-08-11
They aren't killing Android, they are profiting from it, if it's bringing in millions a year, for absolutely no effort, MS would be stupid to do anything other than rattle a few cages, and make money for nothing, chicks for free. They rattled them for years against Linux, and it came to nothing, it'll come to nothing now.
Let them make their money, Android will survive anyway. Calling for an illegal response to something that is not identifiably illegal, now that's wrong. Wrong or right, MS is operating in the bounds of the legal system, it may be sleazy, but it might just be legal.
Calling on Anonymous isn't going to change the laws, but with MS money hunting the perpetrators, it will get some people arrested.
RE[4]: Patents are patents
by WorknMan on Tue 5th Jul 2011 23:24
in reply to "RE[3]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2005-11-13
They may be within their rights according to the law - but just because something's a law doesn't make it right.
If they're operating within their rights according to the law, then they're most definitely not criminal.
Maybe what they're doing is technically 'immoral', and maybe it isn't. But the fact is that these giant corporations have been suing each other on a regular basis for as long as I have been following tech news, and no amount of bitching on blogs like this has changed a goddamn thing.
Therefore, please stop writing about these patent lawsuits. The only thing you're doing by proclaiming from the rooftops that 'software patents are wrong/broken' is preaching to the choir, and I can't imagine that even the choir hasn't gotten sick of this rhetoric.
Not saying I agree, and not saying I disagree either. Point is, I'm not the one getting sued, so I don't give a shit. If company x being sued because of patent y means that I have to pay an additional $2 for product z, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Enough is enough already.
RE[3]: Patents are patents
by gedmurphy on Tue 5th Jul 2011 22:54
in reply to "RE[2]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2005-12-23
Yes, this is my point. Microsoft are just doing what any other company would do. Anyone who disagrees would never cut it in business.
It's a little unfair to criminalize MS as Thom's post does. And invoking a criminal organization like anonymous to attack them is rather unfortunate.
Edited 2011-07-05 22:55 UTC
RE[4]: Patents are patents
by Thom_Holwerda on Tue 5th Jul 2011 22:56
in reply to "RE[3]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2005-06-29
.
RE[4]: Patents are patents
by bnolsen on Wed 6th Jul 2011 00:24
in reply to "RE[3]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2006-01-06
RE[4]: Patents are patents
by Flatland_Spider on Wed 6th Jul 2011 00:31
in reply to "RE[3]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2006-09-01
RE[3]: Patents are patents
by JAlexoid on Wed 6th Jul 2011 15:40
in reply to "RE[2]: Patents are patents"
Member since:2009-05-19
Here's the deal.
Lodsys are using the patent system to the max.
Microsoft is abusing the patent system globally.
If you buy an Android device from HTC(Taiwan registered company, products manufactured in China) in any country that does not have software patents you will still be paying indirectly to Microsoft for the patent license. That would be OK with me if HTC were a US based company or the device was shipped via US, or you made the purchase in US.
But current situation, where I pay for a patent license that is not valid in my country is enforcing US patent laws outside of US borders.
The scumbags at Lodsys are not asking for that. The lower than scumbags at Microsoft are asking for that!!!
Features
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.More Features »
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Member since:
2005-09-21
I'm also against it, but I can't fault Microsoft for exercising what they seem to believe are their rights. Not knowing anything about the patents involved I must assume they are valid and thus Microsoft is within their rights to go after people they think are violating them.
Of course it's a scumbag move, but the problem is the patent system, not the people legally using it. Maybe this kind of situation will force patent overhaul sooner rather than later.