Germany Bans the Xbox 360

[ZeZZZZevy]

Interesting. I mean I understand it being allowed to ban the infringing product from being sold, but other non-related products? That seems a little...extreme.

I knew copyright laws were terrible, but not this terrible.

Well, they're not non-related products. You see, they distribute WMP in Windows 7, and this is about a video codec they're distributing with them. I assume that IE also uses this codec.

Ah I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Arrogancy]

These kinds of news always remind me of this quote:

"If the real world could be patented like software, expect to be sued every time you place one foot in front of the other to propel yourself forwards."

Oh, this thread is gonna have so many nazi jokes, isn't it? *sigh*

I can say I did nazi this coming.

Anne Frankly, I won't stand for it.

Really Reiching for puns, aren't we?

These Nazi jokes are making me Fuhrerious.

I don't know about you but I'm Goebbeling them up

Can we stop it with the Nazi puns, please; they're offensive and take me out of Mein Kampfort zone.

Come on, it's just for Auschwitz and giggles. Nothing wrong with that, SSurely?

Maybe some Luft-waffles will cheer everyone up. The we can Getstapoo with the Nazi puns?

You should have known that this was Goering to be a long thread.

Wermacht have to stop, we could seriously offend some people.

 

[Something Amyss]

And I suppose we can chalk this up to another case where a major software company suffers greatly from violating a software patent yet fails to learn that software patents are a bad thing.

Or just fails to realise that screwing with other people's intellectual properties is a bad idea.

 

[MPerce]

The lulz! THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM!!!

This is a seriously huge fuck-up on Microsoft's part.

 

[Something Amyss]

Wait, it's not April 1st...
How can this even happen? Can someone explain this in legalese?

Motorola haz patent.

Microsoft maeks xbox using patent.

Motorola no liek Microsoft using patent.

Motorola suez.

Seriously, though, I don't know what needs to be explained.

 

[Right Hook]

Oh man, posters doing lame nazi jokes as if in an attempt to be part of one of those lame "pics of week" articles on some random crappy site, oh Escapists...I thought we were better than this.

 

[Quaxar]

While ordering them to destroy existing stock is harsh, it shouldn't come as a surprise. It's not like the Xbox would be the first thing cooked in a Deutsch oven.

Welp, gone Godwin in three replies. That's a pretty good result I'd say!

 

[Mr Companion]

These kinds of news always remind me of this quote:

"If the real world could be patented like software, expect to be sued every time you place one foot in front of the other to propel yourself forwards."

Oh, this thread is gonna have so many nazi jokes, isn't it? *sigh*

I can say I did nazi this coming.

Anne Frankly, I won't stand for it.

Really Reiching for puns, aren't we?

These Nazi jokes are making me Fuhrerious.

I don't know about you but I'm Goebbeling them up

So distasteful, I kamph believe you people!

Can we stop it with the Nazi puns, please; they're offensive and take me out of Mein Kampfort zone.

Come on, it's just for Auschwitz and giggles. Nothing wrong with that, SSurely?

Maybe some Luft-waffles will cheer everyone up. The we can Getstapoo with the Nazi puns?

You should have known that this was Goering to be a long thread.

Wermacht have to stop, we could seriously offend some people.

So distasteful, I kamph beleive you people!

 

[Gitty101]

THE PUNS. OH HOW THEY BURRRRN.

OT: This was unexpected. But I doubt it'll come to anything in the long run M$ is more then capable of paying what it needs to get its products back in Germany. I'll be surprised if they don't.

 

[xplosive59]

I did Nazi this coming and I don't think its Reich to ban something such as xbox 360 (or any form of non-offensive entertainment) cause they are gonna ghetto large backlash from inside the country as well as from busineSSes that sell and import electronic goods.

However saying that german Mac users are probably gloating right now about there computers superiority, anne frankly I don't think that the PC users should stand for this.

Im gona gestappo these Nazi puns reich now as they are Goering to get old quite quickly and are just Panzering to the crowd. Mein Kampf-idence isnt what I used to be so it took all my concentration to keep this post going for so long.

*sigh* I'm going to heil for this!

 

[Li Mu]

germany banning a lucrative business during economic crisis that doesnt seem smart.

It's this kind of thinking which causes problems. Microsoft is in breach of copyright laws and therefore need to pay for it. You're suggesting that Microsoft should be allowed to break laws because we're in a "economic crisis".
This kind of thinking happens in quite a few places and gets exploited by companies and governments.

In Tokyo over 900 companies were found to be breaking most employment laws. From forcing employees to work 50-60 hour weeks with no holiday or refusing to pay overtime. The government turns a blind eye to such things because "It's not good to fine companies during an economic crisis".
While I was living in Tokyo one of my clients (who worked for a bank) had not returned home in 5 days because he was working 18 hours a day and would sleep in his office.

So yeah, as silly as these laws may seem, they need to be respected.

Besides, German retailers over price their games so horrifically that I would never be able to afford games for an Xbox anyway. I'm living in Berlin now and my local Gamestop was selling 'Oblivion' for ?60.
?60 for a game as old as Oblivion! Madness.

I'm not entirely sure how this will affect imports. If I import a laptop from the UK, I cannot imagine that the authorities will check my laptops OS during shipping.

 

[Aeonknight]

So yea, I understand Motorola is trying to protect it's IP and all, and that's nice. But ordering destruction/recall of the item instead of just sueing for royalties or something more financial instead of destroying a product that many consumers enjoy?

Motorola can eat a dick in this case. Yea Microsoft fucked up but that quote from Motorola is worse. The consumers are going to be the ones getting the short straw here because of this little hissy fit.

 

[Robert Ewing]

Motorola is just mad because nobody buys their shit phones anymore.

 

[Imthatguy]

Is the patent own by Motorola Mobility or Motorola Solutions?

 

[BENZOOKA]

This is interesting. I hope it raises some fruitful discussion about patents etc., but it most probably won't.

 

[Snotnarok]

This is hardly big news, by the time the appeals fall out the 360 will be dead. And we all know there won't be any backward compatibility for 360 games in the new one.

 

[Eppy (Bored)]

So what exactly happens if Windows 7 becomes illegal/has to be recalled? Has Motorola suddenly forced an entire country to switch to Apple products? It could be like some kind of bizarre iPocalypse.

 

[DirtyJunkieScum]

So what exactly happens if Windows 7 becomes illegal/has to be recalled? Has Motorola suddenly forced an entire country to switch to Apple products? It could be like some kind of bizarre iPocalypse.

I thought I'd heard something about Angela Merkel buying a load of Apple shares...

 

[F4LL3N]

Can't they just replace the codec with another or remove it completely?

 

[Draconalis]

Smart move... appeal till the X-box 7000 comes out... the 360 is old enough to warrant not being sold anymore.