Monday, May 14, 2007

Microsoft Jumps The Shark

ZDNet reports Microsoft is shocked, shocked to discover that as many as 235 of Microsoft patents are being infringed. The comments are great.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

first

Anonymous said...

I used to work for MS PR agency Waggener Edstrom. All I can say,

SECOND

Anonymous said...

With their R&D budget only a lousy 235 patents are worth infringing? Now that's value for money!

Rob Dawg said...

Microsoft's R&D department could only find 235 patents to infringe because they couldn't use google or yahoo or ask.

Roumer has it that R&D uses 2K Pro to avoid the firewall issues. Pity the first techie caught by security trying to smuggle in an iPhone.

Anonymous said...

1. Patents expire.
2. Gates is a fascist.

Anonymous said...

Now I remember where I've heard Casey's story before!

It was a short story that I read many years ago.

The details are a bit different, but the gist is the same. The words are a bit different but the song is the same.

Check it out, it's even online. http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/paulscase.html

Link


Read it and tell me that Paul doesn't remind you of Casey.

Note how it ends.

Rob Dawg said...

mort,
Unfortunately neither is true. Patents today get renewed for the most mundane reasons. As to Gates. He may want to be a fascist but he isn't one yet. That's an interesting phenomenon. You cannot become a fascist without permission. Too many people won't give that permission.

Anonymous said...

found this in my saved files, guess i never posted it.

[IMG]http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x202/ikeepmypictureshere/newspaper.jpg[/IMG]

Anonymous said...

oops that would be:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x202/ikeepmypictureshere/newspaper.jpg

Sprezzatura said...

Microsoft's R&D department could only find 235 patents to infringe because they couldn't use google or yahoo or ask.

LOL!

Anonymous said...

Nevertheless, I hope Microsoft loses big time. They are friggin' getting too big for their britches. You can't tie up lines of code with a patent forever. Screw them and the horse they rode in on. Oh yeah, IE and Vista bite me.

Article

Anonymous said...

I would like to patent 2 + 2 = 4. Anyone using this code from now on owes me $50.

Anonymous said...

=======================================
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[X] Invocation of Godwin's Law
[ ] Complaints about "Nerfing" of MMORPG Character Class
[ ] Cross-Posting of Self-Authored Links
[ ] Posting of NSFW Content Without Tag
[ ] Incorrect Assertion of Own Gender
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[ ] Use of the Phrase "Sith Lords"

You are hereby required to report to the
nearest domain name authority, and will
be assessed the following penalties:

[ ] Suspended IP
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[ ] Permanent Suspension from Blogging

Non-payment of penalty could result in additional legal action and/or fines.

Anonymous said...

Posted at IAFF:

Casey,

This is the 3rd or 4th time you've done this post in the 6 or more months I've watched you. It always follows this theme:

1. I've got a problem and I'm TIRED of it
2. I MUST take DECISIVE action right NOW
3. Here's my AMBITIOUS plan - ranging from 'maybe/sorta get a flexible part-time independent job' to 'make a zillion dollars with no effort'
4. I WILL do this in xxx days [where xxx is an absurdly low number]

followed by:

5. Several months of DOING NOTHING (dithering, napping, juicing, traveling, bloging...)
6. Create a NEW post containing 1 thru 4 above.

Keystrokes are cheap - I'll expect the same post in another 2 or 3 months!!

It's all good!

Rob Dawg said...

Isaac Asimov beat you to that a half century or more previous with his ultra short story of the lawyer who patented the wheel.

Anonymous said...

Sorely off topic but I need to vent.

I hate [undisclosed name of reviewer prick]. This person reviews quite a few books on Amazon, and he really is the most superior, ridiculous rambler who loves nothing more than to hear himself talk.

He's probably a bad writer himself, who hasn't been published and in his bitterness, goes around and trashes every book he reads. There isn't one fair review on his queue. Not one! I guess every book he picks up is total garbage in his eyes, unless it's his own writing. He probably reads his own reviews over and over again to celebrate his cleverness. Or maybe he's one of those people that only reviews books he hates, and doesn't say anything about the ones he likes.

He's a total dick. There I've said it. I know it's not professional, but I really hate this guy.

::feels much better::

Anonymous said...

@Anon 2:20
Don't forget the 'boo hoo, this is hard, I can't take this' phase.

Anonymous said...

@Dawg.
Please check your techscan@yahoo.com account. You have an email from a gmail account that should be read. Cheers.

Anonymous said...

@Steph.
Let me guess...whose book could he have reviewed...hmm....
anyhow, bad reviews should be forgotten.

Anonymous said...

I've had my share of bad reviews, it comes with the territory, but this guy is a complete skidmark.

My readers usually 'unhelpful' the really mean ones into oblivion.

Anonymous said...

I'd prefer not to see this thing play out in court. The process would take years, and the ruling would not actually resolve the "software as intellectual property" issue. As a software developer, I'm not sure where I fall. While it is clear to me that whoever wrote the code* has intellectual property rights on that code, it is equally evident that technological advances can only occur through collaboration and sharing of existing works. However, if I share my knowledge freely, how will I be compensated? What then is my incentive to innovate?

*by "code" I don't mean printf("Hello world!") type code.

Anonymous said...

@StephanieJ
You should have Sputnik poop in his shoes.

Rob Dawg said...

bemused guy,
Thanks. Yours is the only one of many many that got a reply that wasn't: "Have your laywer contact our massive international legal defense team sucker."

Thanks again. Progress. Didn't someone once say they had 2 BMWs? Sweeeet.

Rob Dawg said...

Stephanie J.,

Got a clicky link for "unhelpful" you wish to share or as I suspect you don't want to mix reality with webosity. Itsallgood. Maybe you can point us to the BVD stripe of a wed hatchet for a little related haterz™ luv attention.

Anonymous said...

It's been a long day, I am tired, it's way past my bedtime & I am groggy so pardon me if I don't phrase this exactly right.

Are there any examples of a patented technology or copyrighted source that became so enmeshed in US society it entered the public domain?

Anonymous said...

Rob Dawg sed:

As to Gates. He may want to be a fascist but he isn't one yet. That's an interesting phenomenon. You cannot become a fascist without permission. Too many people won't give that permission.

Hey, you are the one who posted the picture, I was just agreeing with you. Are you conflicted or something?

Rob Dawg said...

Bemused guy,
Yes, many. a lot during WW-II for obvious reasons but many that weren't enforceable because they were either too easy (pet rock) or untraceable (shrouded propellers).

Anonymous said...

Nigel thinks we are all fascists.

Speaking of dumbass fascists, has anybody seen Nigel's choice of picture on SLC? I am spit out my drink when I saw it. Let's just say, it's got to be Nigel and his bro, Casey.

Anonymous said...

@bemused 2:51

Asprin & thousand of other generics.

The Dude said...

Microsoft fights Communism
HERE'S proof

Anonymous said...

Interview with Casey interviewer.


http://news.com.com/Podcast+A+blogger+with+a+whole+lot+of+haterz/2324-11424_3-6183605.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

The Dude said...

Here's several examples of the Clio Award winning print ad campaign for 42 Below Vodka.....I'd love to see Timeline Guy use this format in one of his award winning posts.

lawnmower man said...

from anon@3:24's link: CNET News.com's Erica Ogg talks to reporter Declan McCullagh about why Serin is so disliked.

Ogg?

Sweet.

Sprezzatura said...

Is that "Ogg the Caveman" Ogg? That would be sweet indeed.

Anonymous said...

@ Sprezz:

I'll never tell.

Sprezzatura said...

@ogg -- I wouldn't expect you to. :-)

Lost Cause said...

It can only mean one thing: Vista sales must be sucking.

lawnmower man said...

I'm hoping C|Net also have a Catherine T. Sputnik on staff.