Microsoft Loses $380 Million Lawsuit

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Microsoft Loses $380 Million Lawsuit

A federal judge has ordered Microsoft to pay $380 million for infringing on a patent from Uniloc [http://www.uniloc.com/].

Uniloc, in California, makes software that prevents you from installing the same program on multiple machines. The suit claims that Microsoft XP and Office do a bit too much of the same thing, thereby infringing on Uniloc's patent.

The suit began six years ago but this week the court finally ruled in Uniloc's favor. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft is looking to appeal against the judgment.

"We are very disappointed in the jury verdict. We believe that we do not infringe, that the patent is invalid and that this award of damages is legally and factually unsupported," said Microsoft spokesman David Bowermaster.

Maybe they should ask the US for more? [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90820-US-To-Pay-100m-For-Cybersecurity]

Source: Business Week [http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D97EI6981.htm] via Slashdot [http://slashdot.org/]
(Image) [http://www.joyoftech.com/geekculturestore/webstore/snowglobes.html]

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[Baby Tea]

Seems pretty stupid, actually.
It's just an activation system to prevent piracy. And that's patented?

What a broken patent system.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Seems pretty stupid, actually.
It's just an activation system to prevent piracy. And that's patented?

What a broken patent system.

They didn't stand a chance in front of a jury. People will f*** over a major corporation just for looking funny. They'll jam out an appeal and either get the patent shredded or reduce the damages.

Christ the patent system is broken.

 

[randommaster]

Seems pretty stupid, actually.
It's just an activation system to prevent piracy. And that's patented?

What a broken patent system.

They didn't stand a chance in front of a jury. People will f*** over a major corporation just for looking funny. They'll jam out an appeal and either get the patent shredded or reduce the damages.

Christ the patent system is broken.

The thing about juries is that people usually think in a logical manner when it comes to high profile cases, or any acse really.

The jury is supposed to think logically about the evidence presented, but when the deffendant is Microsoft, people will usually stop caring about analyzing the evidence and just find ways to connect the evidence to guilt and brush away any arguements made to refute it.

They really need to get people familliar with the subject matter to sit on juries.

 

[Cousin_IT]

much as I favour the idea of trial by jury, in complicated matters like this relying on the judgement on randomly selected (& most likely pig ignorant) jurors doesnt favour the defendant. When companies can parent such broad ranging things as "copy protection," A juror in all likelyhood will agree with the plantiff because the only thing they understand is the plantiff has the patent, the defendent has tech that does something remotely similar to it; therefore the defendant is guilty. Doesnt help the defendant is a big mulitnational.

Though as said, Microsoft will appeal, the verdict will prob be reversed; & the only winners will be the lawyers.

 

[bodyklok]

Is that not twice this month Microsoft has been sued and if I remembear correctly in the other case they had to settle, it would appear that Microsoft is lossing their touch.

 

[AceDiamond]

Cue the people praising Uniloc for sticking it to the Man, and then they go play their PS3s.

 

[edgeofblade]

Anyone else feel like the courts, the laws, and the juries are always stacked against Microsoft? I feel like with all the bad press, you couldn't sit an impartial jury if your life depended on it. It would be too easy to play off of a bad press image and spin a tale that isn't there.

Even if you don't like Microsoft, I'm sure you have a vested interest in seeing them get a fair trial. Wouldn't you like the same if you were in court?

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Stops it from being installed multiple times?
sounds like something I have on a pc Game. It stopped working, so I unistalled it and it won't re-install

why would anyone want that! It's Tyrany and Stupidity!
apart from the piracy stopping part...

 

[karmapolizei]

God, that's just ridiculous.

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

Juries... I have had little faith in them since I found out that a woman who was honestly terrified about the cockroaches laying eggs in her brain had actually served on a jury.

A memorable quote from a juror:
"As soon as he walked in the room I knew he was guilty, just by the look of him."

 

[GyroCaptain]

The statement from the lawyers for Uniloc "Justice has been served!" strike me as a bit cartoony. Hey, if public image works as a factor in this trial, maybe MS should point out that their lawyers are also AOL's lawyers? That should do it.

 

[FallenRainbows]

The statement from the lawyers for Uniloc "Justice has been served!" strike me as a bit cartoony. Hey, if public image works as a factor in this trial, maybe MS should point out that their lawyers are also AOL's lawyers? That should do it.

How Would that help everybody hates AOL... Or is that sarcasm... This is why written communication sucks.

 

[GyroCaptain]

The statement from the lawyers for Uniloc "Justice has been served!" strike me as a bit cartoony. Hey, if public image works as a factor in this trial, maybe MS should point out that their lawyers are also AOL's lawyers? That should do it.

How Would that help everybody hates AOL... Or is that sarcasm... This is why written communication sucks.

Uniloc's lawyers are AOL's lawyers.

 

[FallenRainbows]

The statement from the lawyers for Uniloc "Justice has been served!" strike me as a bit cartoony. Hey, if public image works as a factor in this trial, maybe MS should point out that their lawyers are also AOL's lawyers? That should do it.

How Would that help everybody hates AOL... Or is that sarcasm... This is why written communication sucks.

Uniloc's lawyers are AOL's lawyers.

So its the same bunch of lawyers fighting each other? My head hurts.

 

[GyroCaptain]

The statement from the lawyers for Uniloc "Justice has been served!" strike me as a bit cartoony. Hey, if public image works as a factor in this trial, maybe MS should point out that their lawyers are also AOL's lawyers? That should do it.

How Would that help everybody hates AOL... Or is that sarcasm... This is why written communication sucks.

Uniloc's lawyers are AOL's lawyers.

So its the same bunch of lawyers fighting each other? My head hurts.

No, just Uniloc. My point was that the court of public opinion might be swayed by evidence that Uniloc's lawyers are as evil as MS' ones.

 

[Arbre]

-$380 M. I'm not even sure Microsoft would start to notice.

 

[Asehujiko]

On the bright side, does this mean that uniloc is the only company in the world allowed to produce limited activation installs now? If yes, I think it's worth sacrificing a tiny part of MS'wealth for.

 

[FallenRainbows]

The statement from the lawyers for Uniloc "Justice has been served!" strike me as a bit cartoony. Hey, if public image works as a factor in this trial, maybe MS should point out that their lawyers are also AOL's lawyers? That should do it.

How Would that help everybody hates AOL... Or is that sarcasm... This is why written communication sucks.

Uniloc's lawyers are AOL's lawyers.

So its the same bunch of lawyers fighting each other? My head hurts.

No, just Uniloc. My point was that the court of public opinion might be swayed by evidence that Uniloc's lawyers are as evil as MS' ones.

I get ya cheers for clearing that up. AOL is even more evil than MS at least MS are good at what they do. AOL are crap and evil, MS good and evil...