Comments on: Microsoft, Apple in iPod patent tussle

Music player may be winning in the market, but Microsoft beats its rival in the patent office.

[William Squire]

Patents may not overlap - inaccurate

Okay, first of all, when did Microsoft struggle to challenge the iPod? Who has ever seen a Microsoft designed MP3 player? The technology Microsoft has patented is a system for auto generating play lists based on usage patterns. This is something that the iPod doesn't even do.

"Some people say patents are overlapping, and I'm not sure that's accurate," - David Kaefer, director of business development and intellectual property at Microsoft --via Forbes

http://www.inaniloquent.com/PermaLink.aspx?guid=cef83566-18da-4345-9f10-e254fb55a662

[William Squire]

Patents may not overlap - inaccurate

Okay, first of all, when did Microsoft struggle to challenge the iPod? Who has ever seen a Microsoft designed MP3 player? The technology Microsoft has patented is a system for auto generating play lists based on usage patterns. This is something that the iPod doesn't even do.

"Some people say patents are overlapping, and I'm not sure that's accurate," - David Kaefer, director of business development and intellectual property at Microsoft --via Forbes

http://www.inaniloquent.com/PermaLink.aspx?guid=cef83566-18da-4345-9f10-e254fb55a662

Windows.

Obviously, Mr. Bill Gates, et al. thought they were creating Microsoft's innovation incubator when the investment in Apple happened in the late 90s.

This news piece about Microsoft calls to mind a bunch of humanly-irrelevant nerds, with money, thinking they can get the market's attention just in time to release the "Hasta la" Vista, which will have the same innovation as...SUPRISE!...Apple.

Hey, I will say this. Microsoft earned lots of money. And that's good for them.

Meanwhile, I am using a computer that actually adds to my life, without taking away my $ and time like a Windows OS. I am so happy.

Bye,
Call me a Fanboy.

[Charleston Charge]

It's obvious

you must be using Linux then.

Windows.

Obviously, Mr. Bill Gates, et al. thought they were creating Microsoft's innovation incubator when the investment in Apple happened in the late 90s.

This news piece about Microsoft calls to mind a bunch of humanly-irrelevant nerds, with money, thinking they can get the market's attention just in time to release the "Hasta la" Vista, which will have the same innovation as...SUPRISE!...Apple.

Hey, I will say this. Microsoft earned lots of money. And that's good for them.

Meanwhile, I am using a computer that actually adds to my life, without taking away my $ and time like a Windows OS. I am so happy.

Bye,
Call me a Fanboy.

[Charleston Charge]

It's obvious

you must be using Linux then.

[Llib Setag]

IF you can't innovate: Imitate (or call your daddy/lawyer)

Citizen Gates & Microsith have been getting a lot of heat &
defections regarding their vaporware Longhorn / Vista / OS
DuJoir & their weakness on the Apple iPod successor battle
in Seattle. You can't even use an iPod on the Redmond Campus
without fear of being fired.
PODCASTS! (MS Redmond "Blogcasts")

Seattle P-I gets a BOATLOAD of cash & ad revenues from Jurrasic
Park (Redmond, WA.) & is merely defending their "sugar
daddy" (sound familiar C/NOT?).

"If you cannot innovate...imitate." Citizen Gates mantra.

If you cannot imitate, then run to Washington D.C. with bags of
MS cash for all your lobbyist to line Uncle George's pockets with
& make sure your get to the Patent Office with your " latest
invention the 2001 Apple iPod interface..."

Where's the MS-WMF-MP3 player with it's ORIGINAL iPod
interface? (4 years & counting since 2001 introduction of Apple
iPOD)

LAME Gates... Greedy Geek Boy Billionare Monopolist without an
idea of his own.

Focus on your R&D & less on your lawyers Bill.

[Llib Setag]

IF you can't innovate: Imitate (or call your daddy/lawyer)

Citizen Gates & Microsith have been getting a lot of heat &
defections regarding their vaporware Longhorn / Vista / OS
DuJoir & their weakness on the Apple iPod successor battle
in Seattle. You can't even use an iPod on the Redmond Campus
without fear of being fired.
PODCASTS! (MS Redmond "Blogcasts")

Seattle P-I gets a BOATLOAD of cash & ad revenues from Jurrasic
Park (Redmond, WA.) & is merely defending their "sugar
daddy" (sound familiar C/NOT?).

"If you cannot innovate...imitate." Citizen Gates mantra.

If you cannot imitate, then run to Washington D.C. with bags of
MS cash for all your lobbyist to line Uncle George's pockets with
& make sure your get to the Patent Office with your " latest
invention the 2001 Apple iPod interface..."

Where's the MS-WMF-MP3 player with it's ORIGINAL iPod
interface? (4 years & counting since 2001 introduction of Apple
iPOD)

LAME Gates... Greedy Geek Boy Billionare Monopolist without an
idea of his own.

Focus on your R&D & less on your lawyers Bill.

We have a choice

Well, I bet someone at Apple has been sacked. I feel sorry for
Apple. When you are a smaller company, you try to do the right
thing, but you often don't have the resources (or lawyer budget)
to keep up with the big boys.

Don't forget we have a choice for our music players. Regardless
of the patents, I will continue to support Apple. They will come
up with an even better idea to avoid payments to Mickeysoft.

Be sure to sign all your agreements with "Death to Lawyers" at
the bottom of your signature. Just another example of stupid
laws.

We have a choice

Well, I bet someone at Apple has been sacked. I feel sorry for
Apple. When you are a smaller company, you try to do the right
thing, but you often don't have the resources (or lawyer budget)
to keep up with the big boys.

Don't forget we have a choice for our music players. Regardless
of the patents, I will continue to support Apple. They will come
up with an even better idea to avoid payments to Mickeysoft.

Be sure to sign all your agreements with "Death to Lawyers" at
the bottom of your signature. Just another example of stupid
laws.

[pcpimpster]

Patents are kind of dumb

I'm a 26 yr old IT Professional who manages the software development and information systems for a medium sized company. I'm what you would call an MS guy because they give me what i need to get the job done top to bottom quickly.

With that said...
I do find this patent war from MS and Creative and even Apple on the ipod a bit offensive.

I don?t know much about patents, but to patent something that is easily imitated or uses existing technologies to create another technology squashes competitive innovation for everyone.

So if I come up with a piece of technology that was basically derived from other technologies (most are nowadays, I don?t see anyone coding binary), does that then mean I should be able to patent my project or invention and no one else can then create that same project with their own sweat and tears.

I don?t think so. That is what I call competition and choice which benefits the consumer because you have then 2 or more product producers trying to compete against each, which in turn should make the product that much better.

To say that the interface menu (of all things) of the ipod is a patentable piece of technology in the first place is kind of dumb. That?s like saying the first person who created a CSS/JavaScript drop down menu for a web site should be able to patent that and all other people who do it need to pay royalties.

Maybe I?m missing a key component to my thinking, but hey that?s my take on it.

[pcpimpster]

Patents are kind of dumb

I'm a 26 yr old IT Professional who manages the software development and information systems for a medium sized company. I'm what you would call an MS guy because they give me what i need to get the job done top to bottom quickly.

With that said...
I do find this patent war from MS and Creative and even Apple on the ipod a bit offensive.

I don?t know much about patents, but to patent something that is easily imitated or uses existing technologies to create another technology squashes competitive innovation for everyone.

So if I come up with a piece of technology that was basically derived from other technologies (most are nowadays, I don?t see anyone coding binary), does that then mean I should be able to patent my project or invention and no one else can then create that same project with their own sweat and tears.

I don?t think so. That is what I call competition and choice which benefits the consumer because you have then 2 or more product producers trying to compete against each, which in turn should make the product that much better.

To say that the interface menu (of all things) of the ipod is a patentable piece of technology in the first place is kind of dumb. That?s like saying the first person who created a CSS/JavaScript drop down menu for a web site should be able to patent that and all other people who do it need to pay royalties.

Maybe I?m missing a key component to my thinking, but hey that?s my take on it.