http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9755745-7.html
Microsoft has won a reversal of a $1.5 billion jury verdict against it for infringing on a patent for MP3 technology held by Alcatel-Lucent.
Judge Rudi Brewster of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California tossed out the damages after finding that a jury improperly ruled that Microsoft infringed on one of two patents at issue for MP3 sound technology. The new ruling holds that one of the patents in the case was not actually owned outright by Lucent, and since Microsoft had a license to that particular patent through its co-owner, it's off the hook...continued
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There are some that so full of negative feelings about Microsoft that they will probably see this as bad news. But the broader issue of sanity in Patents is well served by this reversal. Patent trolling is a huge problem that is getting out of hand. In the end, it is the consumer that is hurt by this for a variety of reasons. It can stifle competition. It adds an enormous cost burden to companies that have to pay the cost of needless litigation. This cost then gets passed on to the consumer in the form of higher product prices. Some smaller companies are actually forced out of business because of the crushing financial burden of the litigation. It also stymies business for these companies because other companies are reluctant to buy from them if they have a patent lawsuit over their head. They are afraid that they might incur secondary liability regarding the patent or face a sudden lack of supply of the product in question.
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Patent trolling is a huge problem that is getting out of hand
"Microsoft claims that free software like Linux, which runs a big chunk of corporate America, violates 235 of its patents. It wants royalties from distributors and users."
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/
Interesting little point, Microsoft doesn't say which patents. -
Originally Posted by RLT69
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The biggest issue is that the whole patent system needs an overhaul. It is too tempting for companies and attorneys to play grab-ass with the system the way it is now.
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Problems are not with the trolls, but with the laws themselves.
Its because the patents/copyrights/etc etc lifespans are being extended to the point of absurd in some cases.
If someone invent something, give them 10 maybe 15 years to cash on it.
If they caouldn't, too bad, its public property now. Simple.
And thats how we used to move our civilization forward and achieved progress - without any patents nor copyrights.
Laws extending patents or copyrights only hurt us all.
Grandchildren of Lucas will still benefit from his 1978 flick, does this make sense to anyone? -
Originally Posted by DereX888valvehead//
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If someone invent something, give them 10 maybe 15 years to cash on it.
If they caouldn't, too bad, its public property now. Simple.
I like your approach, 10-15 year patent. Patent expires, public domain, no iffs ands or buts. -
Originally Posted by RLT69
Thats how our civilization progressed, without any written patent laws. It was natural (it took years for a new idea or invention to spread around), but since we "sped up" our interaction and distribution ways, we needed some laws to warrant the inventor's rights, which is good.
However our crooked ******** (the US lawyers) are twisting it and bending it in any possible ways to squeeze few more bucks here and there, which in a longer term gives completely opposite effect on our society and western civilization's progress.
That may be the main reason why the civilization's 'progress' in general has shifted from western countries to few Asian countries in past decade, and it is not a coincidence. Thank our lawyers for their callous care to make sure the unborn yet GreatGreatGreatGreatGrandChildren of i.e. George Lucas can still get their chumpchange for his already 30 years old movie... (Im exaggerating, but not by much)
The problem are our laws and our mostly crooked lawyers, and it can only get worse (until some new american revolution will place them all on the street lamp posts hanging like they did with Mussollini in Italy )
The "trolls" are just taking advantage of the laws, nothing more or less. Obviously the bigger the corporation, the more lawyers it has working in its law department. They just do their job andwhats in the interest of the corporation, apparently.
Its the laws, our laws, that need to be changed.
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