They are the ones that invented copying others. Now they say that no one should copy them. The problem is a copy of a copy is still a copy of the original and Microsoft is NOT the original in anything.
They copied the GUI, Browser, IM, Office, Accounting, Encyclopedia, TCPIP stack, Aero... In fact everything they have is a copy.
This is hypocritical and every IT company should be against them for their arrogance.
Apple copies.....you must be one of the Apple loving people, apple is just a music salesman now....overprived mp3 player called ipod.....copied zerox and BSD.....call themselves innovative...
these are uneducated and ignorant Apple loving people, they don't know the truth.
Stealing is Stealing. Apple steals.
If you want to know what a liberal is then go to www.fsf.org, freebsd.org - these are the good guys, liberal guys. Don't get fooled by these Apple loving ignorant fools......
These idiots think they can just run around dry humping big companies' legs, grunting about their intellectual property - patents on customizing the colors of browser buttons - and they're just going to throw open the treasury doors for them.
Hilarious.
They might as well take up Buddhism and chant for Sasquatch to arrive on a UFO with the Leprachan's pot of gold.
Proof positive that having more than one lawyer in a room at a time can cause massive reality distortion fields.
But what the hell, it will be very entertaining to see what IBM, Xerox, Lucent and Apple do when MSFT pulls the trigger, no to mention the Europeans.
FreeBSD is good! Why did the OpenSource folks not go with BSD. BSD folks never infringed on any patents....and if they did that's between them and AT&T and has been decided a long time ago.....
If Linux was BSD, MS would still be suing them. It is about the threat of Linux and not patents at all. Patents is just the best excuse they can come up with to try and stop Open Source.
A few of the posters here are not using their head...
First, there is a difference between a public spec or RFC and stealing patented code. A spec is a spec, and it contains no code in itself. How is using a PUBLIC spec patent infringement? It's not.
Second, I find it hilarious people flip-flop on patent issues.. All for the little guy, but against the big guy. Well, did you ever think that most patents were created by the little guy, and sold to teh big guy for neverending royalties as long as the patent is used? No.. didn't think so.
And M$ isn't the only one who claims Linux violates their patents. You guys apparently only get your undies in a bunch when M$ is mentioned.
You cannot have the double-standard. Either play by the same rules, or get off the playground.
And finally, use some common sense. First, many of the patents M$ uses that were derived from other companies were legally bought or licensed in the end, and they probably ensure every patent is properly licensed through a legal department now. It wouldn't surprise me if they have a group of people to ensure no code used is even remotely similar to any open source project.
And if Linux can legally steal patented ideas from others without proper licensing and permission, then don't get your panties in a bunch when someone does it to you.
Either play fair and by the same rules as the rest of God's Green Earth, or get out of the playground.
And please don't say that they can't due to trade secrets. All patents are publicly available.
If there was anything legit to this, MS would have filed suit years ago.
However, the courts have gone against them and MS will lose and lose big if those claims go to court. Leaving MS with nothing left to do but slowly die.
And for the BSD idiot, most of BSD was written before software was patentable, and I guarantee you that there are hundreds of patents that have been issued after the release of BSD that BSD infringes.
Linux is a direct threat to MS, and all MS can do about it is throw out unsubstantiated claims. BSD is not a threat.
First, BSD has an OPEN SPEC on their IP stack. Second, isn's there something called LICENSING here?
It's not stealing if it was licensed and used under a legal agreement. Please do not twist the facts to mislead people. If you read the full detail, yes, portions are still licensed LEGALLY, Not stolen!.
Microsoft is the best example of "Made in America" when few things are, why cannot you appreciate a product just because it is on a CD? Oh, I get it, you would rather people steal Microsoft's IP won't you?
If their patents were indeed violated, then, it is theft. Plain and simple.
If I were to hazard a guess, then, I would say that important patents have indeed been violated.
The Open Source folks have to keep up, at each step with patents/laws etc, it would seem that this has not happened. Mere writing free or open source software does not give one the right to violate patents. One can be a revolutionary but one has to be non-violent!!! One cannot be a vegan and eat milk based cheese!!!
Microsoft would perhaps not "go after" a small company/programmer, however, a big violation or "a road that leads to a violation" of patents on a grand scale is certainly something they have to resolve.
Open Source can be free without patent violations, like Solaris 10, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD etc etc....
As for Linux, that's built on Unix which as I understand it pre-dates Microsoft. Are we sure that MicroSoft didn't build part of it's empire using Intellectural Property that others pioneered? I'm not so sure.
not to be bashing Microsoft, but...aren't they the same guys who routinely 'borrow' other's code/technology and sell it as their own? When confronted by lawsuits, they roll out that big wad of bucks in the war chest. Mr. Balmer, clean your own house first!
Microsoft, according to Ballmer "support the honoring of, intellectual property."
Try telling that to Sendo - a UK company who basically were royally screwed by Microsoft purely so Microsoft could acquire their technology. Sendo's legal case against MS listed the following allegations: misappropriation of trade secrets, common law misappropriation, conversion, unfair competition, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, two counts of negligent misrepresentation, two counts of breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and tortious interference.
Ballmer is probably planning to sue individual industries for infringing on MSFT IP that those industries perform as basic services and MSFT has turned into software code. MSFT has patents on components in Money that they could claim will allow them to sue every bank in the world and, ultimately, put them all out of business. Finally, every bank service will be reduced to software with MSFT in the middle getting a slice of every transaction.
Ballmer is no doubt dreaming about owning the entire mortgage industry and the brokerage industry. "It's all just an application and we have patents. They have to get right with our patents or face a bankrupting law suit. Agree with me or I'll bite your face and disfigure your nose," he would tell reporters if was as honest as he is emotionally disabled.
... but guess what: How will Microsoft collect from banks in places like Russia, China, the European Union (that is threatening to fine Microsoft), Brazil et cetera et cetera. The only "forces" that can be sent in would be Federation Star Fleet and not the U.S. Military!. Besides, which development banking establishments have uses for software products that are now in development!
The only reason I've stuck with XP this long is because I need to access Outlook Express archives of my late wife's email. But! if anyone knows a linux app that will retrieve an OE .dbx save, I'm gone.
I haven't even touched any of the nice 3rd party Windows apps in some time. Bought and paid for but I will walk away without a backward glance and turn my dual-boot desktop into Ubuntu only.
I'd decided some time back that XP was my last ~upgrade~ (~sneer quotes~ by design.)
Maybe MS dorks can buy the corrupt AmeriKa justice system and hammer 'the threat' but between then and right now, I'll wager the exploits will increase by an order of magniture. Or two. Sheesh, if hackers can take control of a satellite, what chance has Windohs got?
If Microsoft thinks they can win this battle, they'd better check out vintagetech.com. All their patents can be invalidated in a frighteningly easy way.
Torrance-based research firm Trebletex issued its report today on MSFT's intellectual property position relevant to the rest of the world. Its initial finding is that MSFT's software probably infringes on 624,382 patents of some 14,349 companies.
IBM, Xerox, Apple, Lucent, Hewlett-Packard are all named in the report as multiple targets of MSFT's freewheeling infringements. Xerox CEO Anne M. Mulcahy said the companies are forming a support group to deal with "a pervasive sense of violation and loss of trust in people."
Meanwhile, MSFT CEO Steve Ballmer announced that MSFT has filed suit against 7,000 US banks for infringing on patented features in MSFT's Money personal accounting software, including "an innovating button just for sums that was the product of billions in investment by MSFT."
Let's play fair, I have no lawyers or a ton of money to patent all the ideas I come up with. The government has allowed Microsoft to become a monopoly, while staying IBM's hand. Microsoft has whatever it may from OS/2 and Mac O/S. But don't stop there, Netscape, Mozilla, Media Player. I mean the PC was stolen from IBM by a bunch of lawyers and supposed clean reverse engineers who made thier own BIOS. Without the PC, Microsoft would be nothing.
Now the government is even trying to stick the little guy more by changing the law so you get no protection unless you apply first for a patent. You cant just have the idea and prove that it was your idea first. People used to send themselves a letter to prove the date, or go get your plans notorized or something like that.
The government, Not of by and for the people any more. The corporations have way too much money and power to influence the process.
Balmer and Microsoft honor nothing... except the linings of their fat pockets. The MS concept is to smash anything that prevents their unchallenged and accelerated control of all things.
Open Source stands to be annihilated unless MS is suddenly stopped. And the only thing that could do that is consolidated development of an Open Source OS, which competes with Vista for majority market share.
And it needs to happen fast. Microsoft isn't waiting. And the article should be a strong indication of things to come.
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Sell sell sell.
They are the ones that invented copying others.
Now they say that no one should copy them. The problem is a copy of a copy is still a copy of the original and Microsoft is NOT the original in anything.
They copied the GUI, Browser, IM, Office, Accounting, Encyclopedia, TCPIP stack, Aero... In fact everything they have is a copy.
This is hypocritical and every IT company should be against them for their arrogance.
Naturally, you're gonna have all these liberal nerds accusing MS (or more properly, "M$") of "******** on the little guy." ***?
Stealing is Stealing.
Apple steals.
If you want to know what a liberal is then go to
www.fsf.org, freebsd.org - these are the good guys, liberal guys. Don't get fooled by these Apple loving ignorant fools......
Have fun, I will see you back here empty handed in about 10 years.
If you had any clue at all what software is you wouldn't be spouting this ignorant drivel.
Here is a hint: if some nerd sitting at home can randomly type code and it violates a patent, what does that tell you about it?
Is it novel? Evidently not.
Is it based on prior art? Yup, since that nerd randomly typing code used what he already knows to create it.
You inadvertently proved why software patents are a bad thing and why copyright is all that is needed. Good work!
These idiots think they can just run around dry humping big companies' legs, grunting about their intellectual property - patents on customizing the colors of browser buttons - and they're just going to throw open the treasury doors for them.
Hilarious.
They might as well take up Buddhism and chant for Sasquatch to arrive on a UFO with the Leprachan's pot of gold.
Proof positive that having more than one lawyer in a room at a time can cause massive reality distortion fields.
But what the hell, it will be very entertaining to see what IBM, Xerox, Lucent and Apple do when MSFT pulls the trigger, no to mention the Europeans.
There does exist a BSD-PC os.
It is about the threat of Linux and not patents at all. Patents is just the best excuse they can come up with to try and stop Open Source.
Microsoft shouldn't SCO there.
First, there is a difference between a public spec or RFC and stealing patented code. A spec is a spec, and it contains no code in itself. How is using a PUBLIC spec patent infringement? It's not.
Second, I find it hilarious people flip-flop on patent issues.. All for the little guy, but against the big guy. Well, did you ever think that most patents were created by the little guy, and sold to teh big guy for neverending royalties as long as the patent is used? No.. didn't think so.
And M$ isn't the only one who claims Linux violates their patents. You guys apparently only get your undies in a bunch when M$ is mentioned.
You cannot have the double-standard. Either play by the same rules, or get off the playground.
And finally, use some common sense. First, many of the patents M$ uses that were derived from other companies were legally bought or licensed in the end, and they probably ensure every patent is properly licensed through a legal department now. It wouldn't surprise me if they have a group of people to ensure no code used is even remotely similar to any open source project.
And if Linux can legally steal patented ideas from others without proper licensing and permission, then don't get your panties in a bunch when someone does it to you.
Either play fair and by the same rules as the rest of God's Green Earth, or get out of the playground.
if these Linux newbie programmers have no respect for other people's IP, then they deserve to be harassed!
Why could everybody not go BSD?
I cannot even download Red Hat Linux for free, how is Linux free, it costs at least $80.00
And please don't say that they can't due to trade secrets. All patents are publicly available.
If there was anything legit to this, MS would have filed suit years ago.
However, the courts have gone against them and MS will lose and lose big if those claims go to court. Leaving MS with nothing left to do but slowly die.
And for the BSD idiot, most of BSD was written before software was patentable, and I guarantee you that there are hundreds of patents that have been issued after the release of BSD that BSD infringes.
Linux is a direct threat to MS, and all MS can do about it is throw out unsubstantiated claims. BSD is not a threat.
It's not stealing if it was licensed and used under a legal agreement. Please do not twist the facts to mislead people. If you read the full detail, yes, portions are still licensed LEGALLY, Not stolen!.
If linux is violating patents, then, it's violating patents.
Micro$loth has WAY too much gall, this pontificating is but one of hundreds of examples.
*SIGH*
If their patents were indeed violated, then, it is theft. Plain and simple.
Let me guess, you own an Ipod.
If I were to hazard a guess, then, I would say that important patents have indeed been violated.
The Open Source folks have to keep up, at each step with patents/laws etc, it would seem that this has not happened. Mere writing free or open source software does not give one the right to violate patents. One can be a revolutionary but one has to be non-violent!!! One cannot be a vegan and eat milk based cheese!!!
Microsoft would perhaps not "go after" a small company/programmer, however, a big violation or "a road that leads to a violation" of patents on a grand scale is certainly something they have to resolve.
Open Source can be free without patent violations, like Solaris 10, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD etc etc....
They demand respect, they need to give respect.
As for Linux, that's built on Unix which as I understand it pre-dates Microsoft. Are we sure that MicroSoft didn't build part of it's empire using Intellectural Property that others pioneered? I'm not so sure.
Try telling that to Sendo - a UK company who basically were royally screwed by Microsoft purely so Microsoft could acquire their technology. Sendo's legal case against MS listed the following allegations: misappropriation of trade secrets, common law misappropriation, conversion, unfair competition, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, two counts of negligent misrepresentation, two counts of breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and tortious interference.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/01/06/microsofts_masterplan_to_screw_phone/" target="_newWindow">http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/01/06/microsofts_masterplan_to_screw_phone/</a>
Ballmer is no doubt dreaming about owning the entire mortgage industry and the brokerage industry. "It's all just an application and we have patents. They have to get right with our patents or face a bankrupting law suit. Agree with me or I'll bite your face and disfigure your nose," he would tell reporters if was as honest as he is emotionally disabled.
I haven't even touched any of the nice 3rd party Windows apps in some time. Bought and paid for but I will walk away without a backward glance and turn my dual-boot desktop into Ubuntu only.
I'd decided some time back that XP was my last ~upgrade~ (~sneer quotes~ by design.)
Maybe MS dorks can buy the corrupt AmeriKa justice system and hammer 'the threat' but between then and right now, I'll wager the exploits will increase by an order of magniture. Or two. Sheesh, if hackers can take control of a satellite, what chance has Windohs got?
Just sayin' ...
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.vintagetech.com" target="_newWindow">http://www.vintagetech.com</a>
All the prior art needed to crush Microsoft is in the software archive of VintageTech.
IBM, Xerox, Apple, Lucent, Hewlett-Packard are all named in the report as multiple targets of MSFT's freewheeling infringements. Xerox CEO Anne M. Mulcahy said the companies are forming a support group to deal with "a pervasive sense of violation and loss of trust in people."
Meanwhile, MSFT CEO Steve Ballmer announced that MSFT has filed suit against 7,000 US banks for infringing on patented features in MSFT's Money personal accounting software, including "an innovating button just for sums that was the product of billions in investment by MSFT."
Now the government is even trying to stick the little guy more by changing the law so you get no protection unless you apply first for a patent. You cant just have the idea and prove that it was your idea first. People used to send themselves a letter to prove the date, or go get your plans notorized or something like that.
The government, Not of by and for the people any more. The corporations have way too much money and power to influence the process.
Open Source stands to be annihilated unless MS is suddenly stopped. And the only thing that could do that is consolidated development of an Open Source OS, which competes with Vista for majority market share.
And it needs to happen fast. Microsoft isn't waiting. And the article should be a strong indication of things to come.
read up buddy!