Thread: Microsoft fined $500 million for patent infringement

  1. #1
    Hamster without a wheel iain's Avatar
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    Microsoft fined $500 million for patent infringement

    it appears that microsoft ripped off the University of California and a small US computing company's code to implement their IE plug-in system

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3143591.stm
    Monday - what a way to spend a seventh of your life

  2. #2
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    ::points and laughs at microsoft::

    Linux is cool

  3. #3
    Wannabe Coding God
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    Not the first time they've done stuff like that. One of the reasons I dislike them so much.
    They say that if you play a Windows Install CD backwords, you hear satanic messages. That's nothing; play it forward and it installs Windows.

  4. #4
    & the hat of GPL slaying Thantos's Avatar
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    Hmm $500 million fine, but how much did they make off what they stole? Most likely it was still a good move when it comes to money.

  5. #5
    monotonously living Dissata's Avatar
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    seems like a load of bull$$$$ to me. why would you wait 6 yrs. to sue? and what exactly were the infringements the article didn't go into much detail.
    if a contradiction was contradicted would that contradition contradict the origional crontradiction?

  6. #6
    Registered User
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    Originally posted by Dissata
    seems like a load of bull$$$$ to me. why would you wait 6 yrs. to sue? and what exactly were the infringements the article didn't go into much detail.
    that way you can make more money, because microsoft has stolen more money from you. Tell me you wouldn't do it that way.

    It's called karma, Microsoft sucks.

  7. #7
    Banal internet user
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    OMG Microsoft rips off patented ideas and code??

    WTF my world.... nooo!! My idol!!! Billy how could you!?

  8. #8
    Pursuing knowledge confuted's Avatar
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    To Microsoft:

    hahaha pwned.
    Away.

  9. #9
    Senior Member joshdick's Avatar
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    Originally posted by RoD
    :oints and laughs at microsoft::

    Linux is cool
    Ditto.
    FAQ

    "The computer programmer is a creator of universes for which he alone is responsible. Universes of virtually unlimited complexity can be created in the form of computer programs." -- Joseph Weizenbaum.

    "If you cannot grok the overall structure of a program while taking a shower, you are not ready to code it." -- Richard Pattis.

  10. #10
    Its not rocket science vasanth's Avatar
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    Originally posted by joshdick
    Ditto.
    there's a law suit claiming Linux borowed some code from some Unix systems

  11. #11
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    there's a law suit claiming Linux borowed some code from some Unix systems
    That one is funnier.

    Im glad RedHat and IBM are getting into to it. AIX all the way!

  12. #12
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    >>there's a law suit claiming Linux borowed some code from some Unix systems

    Code which has yet to be shown, that lawsuit is crap.

  13. #13
    Climber spoon_'s Avatar
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    You all seem to forget where you would be without Microsoft's Windows & their other products.

    The business world wouldn't be where it is now without Windows. Office workers would be less productive having to deal with the small idiosyncracies of Linux.

    You probably wouldn't be playing half of the games you play now.

    Windows is good $$$$, and you all know it. I've been runing Windows XP Pro for a year now. Never reformatted, never had one problem. You know why? Because I take care of my computer (updates, anti-virus, etc).

    Right about now, you probably think I'm some Windows junkie. Wrong. I have a Redhat machine at home and at work. So I probably deal with Linux more than most of you. I don't hate it, nor do I love it. Windows is there for its reason along with its strengths and weaknesses, and so is Linux.

    I hope this thread is closed soon = )

    Peace.
    {RTFM, KISS}

  14. #14
    Much older and wiser Fountain's Avatar
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    I hope this thread is closed soon = )

    Wouldnt bank on it m8, I hope so though too.

    As Brian said they waited longer to make more cash-a good business move. Well, except for all the people who lost jobs etc due to the 'infringement', and due to the long time in claiming.

    Anyhow, it was NOWHERE near as astute a move as what MS did. 99.6% of home OS market,and I think I read 66% of browsing software (www.computeractive.co.uk). Now that was smart.
    Such is life.

  15. #15
    Registered User
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    Originally posted by spoon_
    You all seem to forget where you would be without Microsoft's Windows & their other products.

    The business world wouldn't be where it is now without Windows. Office workers would be less productive having to deal with the small idiosyncracies of Linux.
    It has been suggested on Bugtraq that the power outage on America's Eastern Seaboard was caused by Windows boxes on the power grid affected by the MS Blaster worm.

    It is ridiculous to accept that a lightning strike could knock
    out the grid, or the transmission system is over stressed. There
    are many redundant fault, limit and Voltage-Surge Protection
    safeguards and related instrumentation and switchgear installed
    at the distribution centers and sub stations along the Power
    Grid that would have tripped to prevent or otherwise divert such
    a major outage.

    I believe that the outage was caused by the MSblaster, or its
    mutation, which was besieged upon the respective vulnerability
    in certain control and monitoring systems (SCADA and otherwise)
    running MS 2000 or XP, located different points along the Grid.
    Some of these systems are accessible via the Internet, while
    others are accessible by POTS dialup, or private Frame relay and
    dedicated connectivity.

    Being an old PLC automation and control hack let me say that
    there is a very good plausibility that the recent East Coast
    power outage was due to an attack by an MBlaster variant on the
    SCADA system at the power plant master terminal, or more likely
    at several of the remote terminal units "RTU". SCADA runs under
    Win2000 / XP and the telemetry to the RTU is accessible via the
    Internet.

    >From what I recall SCADA based monitoring and control systems
    were installed at many water / sewer processing, gas and oil
    processing, and hydro-electric plants.

    I also believe that yesterdays flooding of a generator sub-
    facility in Philadelphia was also due to an MBlaster variant
    attack on the SCADA or similarly Win 2000 / XP based system.

    To make things worst, the Web Interface is MS ActiveX. Now lets
    see, how can one craft an ActiveX vuln vector into the blaster?

    Oh, and for the wardrivers, SCADA can be access via wireless
    connections on the road… puts a new perspective on sniffing
    around sewer plants.

    It is also reasonable to assume that we could have a similar
    security threat regarding those system (SCADA and otherwise
    based on MS 2000 or XP) involved in the control, data
    acquisition, and maintenance of other critical infrastructure,
    such as inter/intra state GAS Distribution, Nuclear Plant
    Monitoring, Water and Sewer Processing, and city Traffic
    Control. IMO

    I think we will see a lot of finger pointing by government
    agencies, Utilities, and politicians for the Grid outage, until
    someone confess to the security dilemma and vulnerabilities in
    the systems which are involved in running this critical
    infrastructure.

    Regardless of whether the Grid outage can be attributed to the
    blaster or its variant, this is not entirely a Microsoft
    problem, as it reeks of poor System Security Engineering
    practiced by the Utility Companies, and associated equipment and
    technology suppliers.

    Nonetheless, the incident will cause lots of money to be
    earmarked by the US and Canadian Governments, to be spent in an
    attempt to solve the problem, or more specifically calm the
    public.

    This incident should be fully investigated, and regulations
    passed to ensure that the Utility companies and their suppliers
    develop and implement proper safeguards that will help prevent
    or at least significantly mitigate the effects of such a
    catastrophe.

    Conversely, I do not want to see our Government directly
    involved in yet another "business", which has such a controlling
    impact over our individual lives.

    -




    On 14 Aug 2003 at 15:18, Geoff Shively wrote:


    >> Just flipped on CNN, watching the masses snake through the
    >> streets of Manhattan as correspondents state that this could be
    >> an affect of the blaster worm.
    >>
    >> Interesting but I don't see how an worm of this magnitude
    >> (smaller than that of Slammer/Sapphire and others) could
    >> influence DCS and SCADA systems around the US, particularly just
    >> in the North East.
    >>
    >> Thoughts?
    >>
    >>
    >> Cheers,
    >>
    >> Geoff Shively, CHO
    >> PivX Solutions, LLC
    >>

    -
    ************************************************** **
    Bernie
    Chief Technology Architect
    Chief Security Officer
    [email protected]
    Euclidean Systems, Inc.
    ************************************************** *****
    // "There is no expedient to which a man will not go
    // to avoid the pure labor of honest thinking."
    // Honest thought, the real business capital.
    // Observe> Think> Plan> Think> Do> Think>
    ************************************************** *****

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