23 February 2007
Microsoft's Patent Infringements
Alcatel-Lucent has won their patent case against Microsoft regarding the unlicensed use of the MP3 format with Microsoft being ordered to pay 1.52 million USD. Alcatel-Lucent has stated that is will ask for a larger judgment against MS by asking that the 2006 sales values of computers be factored into the calculation. The $1.52 million was derived by taking 0.5 % of all computers sold with Windows from mid 2003 to 2005.
Alcatel-Lucent has also brought patent lawsuits against MS relating to their use of color graphics, computer interface technologies and video-file. Alcatel-Lucent has stated that anyone who implements the standard could also be sued. This includes companies like Apple, Creative Technology and Real Networks.
It sounds remotely similar to Steve Balmer's attacks against Linux to sue them for unknown patent infringements. It seems that Alcatel-Lucent attacked first using Bell Labs technology as the attack against MS. Bell Labs also being the creator of Unix, it seems plausible that Alcatel-Lucent felt some connection to Linux since it is part of the same family and came to the support by exposing and suing MS for infringements that had MS not threatened Linux would have been forgiven.
Alcatel-Lucent has also brought patent lawsuits against MS relating to their use of color graphics, computer interface technologies and video-file. Alcatel-Lucent has stated that anyone who implements the standard could also be sued. This includes companies like Apple, Creative Technology and Real Networks.
It sounds remotely similar to Steve Balmer's attacks against Linux to sue them for unknown patent infringements. It seems that Alcatel-Lucent attacked first using Bell Labs technology as the attack against MS. Bell Labs also being the creator of Unix, it seems plausible that Alcatel-Lucent felt some connection to Linux since it is part of the same family and came to the support by exposing and suing MS for infringements that had MS not threatened Linux would have been forgiven.
Labels: computer, linux, microsoft, mp3, os
