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Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

blogs.technet.com

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Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#41

Post by dctoedt »

raganwald wrote: post #21

What I like about these lawsuits is the possibility that the big players will start aggressively campaigning for patent reform. As long as they all entered into cosy cross-licensing deals with each other, they were running an oligopoly that erected a barrier to entry against upstarts. But now that they're starting to sue each other, the oligopoly's ranks have split and patents are going to bring everything to a stand…

> What I like about these lawsuits is the possibility that the big players will start aggressively campaigning for patent reform.

I wouldn't count on it -- if anything, they'll think, "hmm, we could be next, we'd better start getting patents of our own." Then once they have patents, someone in management will ask, "hey, we have these expensive patents, why don't we deploy them against the competition." That's especially true if some exec wants to get credit (and bonuses) for a license royalty stream or a damages award.

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#42

Post by dhimes »

dctoedt wrote: post #41
raganwald wrote: post #21

What I like about these lawsuits is the possibility that the big players will start aggressively campaigning for patent reform. As long as they all entered into cosy cross-licensing deals with each other, they were running an oligopoly that erected a barrier to entry against upstarts. But now that they're starting to sue each other, the oligopoly's ranks have split and patents are going to bring everything to a stand…

> What I like about these lawsuits is the possibility that the big players will start aggressively campaigning for patent reform. I wouldn't count on it -- if anything, they'll think, "hmm, we could be next, we'd better start getting patents of our own." Then once they have patents, someone in management will ask, "hey, we have these expensive patents, why don't we deploy them against the competition." That's especia…

Damn. You ruined my day.

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#44

Post by kenjackson »

GHFigs wrote: post #17

It is absolutely imperative that we all formulate our opinions in ignorance of the patents themselves. Pay no attention to the following words and numbers. Common Name Space for Long and Short File Names: 5,579,517 Common Name Space for Long and Short File Names: 5,758,352 Monitoring Entropic Conditions of a Flash Memory Device as an Indicator for Invoking Erasure Operations: 6,621,746 Radio Interface Layer in a Cell…

So I took a look at Method and System for Managing Changes to a Contact Database. It's a pretty straightforward patent. The gist of that you can store the call information from a previous call into your contact list. From a given call you can say, "This is a new contact" or "This is an updated contact".

It was filed in 2002.

The key to prior art here is to show prior to 2002 some device that that could either create a new contact or update a contact from the call log.

I almost certainly recall the ability to create new contacts from the call log prior to 2002. I think the tricky part is that I don't I'd seen updating of an existing contact.

To me this seems like an easy patent to get around though. Simply remove the ability to update contacts from the call log.

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#45

Post by raminf »

Godfather walks into the Grocer's and demands they buy their deli meats from him. Grocer says "No thanks, I'm getting my meat free from those other guys. My customers are happy too."

Godfather says, "Yes, but not buying from me might expose you to harm in the future."

Grocer says, "It's OK, I'm not worried. Besides, who would want to hurt me?"

Godfather comes back the next week and shoots him in the kneecap. "See, I warned you someone might come in and hurt you."

s/Godfather/Microsoft/g

s/Grocer/Motorola/g

s/Deli Meat/Android/g

Wonder how much fight the next, um, Grocery store will put up.

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#46

Post by bobbyi »

city41 wrote: post #10
praptak wrote: post #4

So much for the "Microsoft doesn't have a history of patent lawsuit trolling. [...] At the end of the day MS is a developer centric company, they pride themselves on the ability to make things, and patents are an annoying side show to that." argument found here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1745932

Patents are a big deal at Microsoft. They are highly encouraged. Employees who succeed in securing a patent receive a plaque that is proudly displayed in their office as well as a nice bonus.

It's actually a cube rather than a plaque. Some people have pyramids on their desk built from patent cubes.

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#47

Post by houseabsolute »

konad wrote: post #28

A few years ago people were suing each other after getting patents for stuff that already existed by having "via the internet" tagged on the end. Now were in the new age, where all those patents that ended "via the internet" now have "on a mobile telephone" instead. Collecting email on your phone is patented ? Get Fucked Microsoft, shove it up your arse

You might benefit from rereading this article.

http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-read-a-patent-...

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#48

Post by konad »

houseabsolute wrote: post #47
konad wrote: post #28

A few years ago people were suing each other after getting patents for stuff that already existed by having "via the internet" tagged on the end. Now were in the new age, where all those patents that ended "via the internet" now have "on a mobile telephone" instead. Collecting email on your phone is patented ? Get Fucked Microsoft, shove it up your arse

You might benefit from rereading this article. http://www.danshapiro.com/blog/2010/09/how-to-read-a-patent-...

my rage is not abated

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#49

Post by borism »

city41 wrote: post #10
praptak wrote: post #4

So much for the "Microsoft doesn't have a history of patent lawsuit trolling. [...] At the end of the day MS is a developer centric company, they pride themselves on the ability to make things, and patents are an annoying side show to that." argument found here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1745932

Patents are a big deal at Microsoft. They are highly encouraged. Employees who succeed in securing a patent receive a plaque that is proudly displayed in their office as well as a nice bonus.

that has nothing to do with patent trolling though

Re: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android patent infringements

#50

Post by city41 »

borism wrote: post #49
city41 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Patents are a big deal at Microsoft. They are highly encouraged. Employees who succeed in securing a patent receive a plaque that is proudly displayed in their office as well as a nice bonus.

that has nothing to do with patent trolling though

You've got to have patents before you can patent troll.
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