MS 'owe' $1.99 billion for infringing patented computer technology

[Zeus]

Alcatel-Lucent SA have told a court Microsoft owes them US$1.99 billion for infringing its patented computer technology. Alcatel say MS have violated four patents with products such as Windows Media Player, Vista and Xbox 360. "The Paris-based company claims infringement of patents covering the MPEG-2 form of digital video, computer form-entry technology and the use of a stylus on handheld devices."


The patent-infringement trial is the second round of cases by Alcatel-Lucent against Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft and Round Rock, Texas-based Dell. In the first trial, held last year, a San Diego jury awarded Alcatel-Lucent US$1.52 billion in a dispute over the MP3 computer audio standard, the highest-ever verdict in a patent trial. A judge later threw out the award.

Microsoft and Dell contend they didn't violate the patents.

"We continue to believe that the patents are invalid and not infringed and that Lucent is not entitled to any damages," Microsoft spokesman Jack Evans said in an e-mail. "We look forward to putting on our case."


News Source: <a href="http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/americas/2008/03/16/147327/MS-Dell.htm" target=_blank">chinapost</a>

[phallius]

M$ always takes what it wants and pays for it later. They get whatever they want because they can. :D

[Laughed]

I'm sorry but how did they come up with 1.99b over a flat 2b? Did someone drop a penny somewhere?

[canadajames]

I'd take the 10 mill :0

[nolifeking]

Media Player has been around almost a decade, Vista & 360 for a year or two and they are just now saying that it infringes on copyrights? Sounds like since the French economy is in the toilet they are going to try to snake some money from MS. We have been using a stylus on handhelds for a LONG time. Why not sue Nintendo over the DS and Palm over their devices.
I say that we should never have given France back to the French after WWII, Just make it he 51'st state or something.

[AlphaTrion]

this is a a load of bu**sh*t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DoggStyle]

Media Player has been around almost a decade, Vista & 360 for a year or two and they are just now saying that it infringes on copyrights? Sounds like since the French economy is in the toilet they are going to try to snake some money from MS. We have been using a stylus on handhelds for a LONG time. Why not sue Nintendo over the DS and Palm over their devices.
I say that we should never have given France back to the French after WWII, Just make it he 51'st state or something.

It says dispute, so it could be in court for long until now.
Anyway, M$ is a copycat *****. Hope the go bankruptcy.

[faceless]

this lawsuit is a joke, the technology was licensed by microsoft and tons of other companies in good faith but alcatel-lucent set up a seperate trust when they merged as a way to try and back out of the licensing deal that already agreed to in order to make more money when they realized "oh **** this is really popular!". hate microsoft all you want, but hate slimy patent trolling companies like this even more.

[WickedSkin]

Media Player has been around almost a decade, Vista & 360 for a year or two and they are just now saying that it infringes on copyrights? Sounds like since the French economy is in the toilet they are going to try to snake some money from MS. We have been using a stylus on handhelds for a LONG time. Why not sue Nintendo over the DS and Palm over their devices.
I say that we should never have given France back to the French after WWII, Just make it he 51'st state or something.

MS never invented anything. They just steal technology so I guess they deserved this.

The Brits would probably have kept France if they could. No one hates the French like a Brit. Another funny thing is, if it wasn't for good old mother Russia, the whole world would be "The United States of Germany".

[flightx]

things like this just make me laugh. 1.99 billion is a drop in the ocean for microsoft if you count the whole company. but with that said there must be something in it for someone to go to all this trouble.

[NexusBurst]

this is like the fifth lawsuit attempt by Alcatel in as many years they're just money grabbers. Tbh if they did manage to get 1.99 billion ms could just do the same to any linux distro since it's in violation of ms patents and once again alcatels. i fail to see how you can patent computer form entry seeing as it's in every operating system and pretty much every phone console etc.

MS never invented anything. They just steal technology so I guess they deserved this.Get real, someone from ms at least invented ctrl+alt+delete :D

[jayque]

Get real, someone from ms at least invented ctrl+alt+delete :D

Dont forget about the blue screen of death and 3 rings of death !

:rolleyes:

[msanchez]

Can this things be anymore ridiculous? Just because MS is making a crap load of money doesn't mean we all get a shot to sue them for something.

[baberuth100]

Why would you jut say something after like a year or 2 :eek: and why ask for 2 billion thats a little to the extreme :mad: !!!! If they would have asked for like 2 million they might have got it and not gone to court that is if they do.:D

[sigma8]

Media Player has been around almost a decade, Vista & 360 for a year or two and they are just now saying that it infringes on copyrights? Sounds like since the French economy is in the toilet they are going to try to snake some money from MS. We have been using a stylus on handhelds for a LONG time. Why not sue Nintendo over the DS and Palm over their devices.
I say that we should never have given France back to the French after WWII, Just make it he 51'st state or something.
Well thank God it's not up to you. Actually, plenty of mortals on the list way ahead of god that can also be thanked..

When a patent is infringed upon, there's usually an extended time of out-of-court posturing that occurs before ANYTHING is filed in an actual court. Most companies prefer to settle "out of court" because court proceedings can get expensive and often gets them publicity that they don't want.

That being said, if you even read the summary Zeus posted (much less the article), you'd notice that a judge had ALREADY RULED, which would indicate to an astute reader that this story is referring to a patent case that's been bouncing around in the court system for some time already (I'm sure a Frenchman would pick up on it, probably not a dunce American, though..)

Usually it takes years to resolve these disputes because lawyers drag it out and the loser constantly appeals the rulings, or pursues other legal strategies to throw off the plaintiff.

[Claxiux]

It would seem Europe has decided to take Microsoft to bankrupcy now that we have some decent OS alternatives

[grapeape]

It would seem Europe has decided to take Microsoft to bankrupcy now that we have some decent OS alternatives

I think most would agree that if the only way an alternative becomes viable is to handcuff the competition than it wasnt much of a alternative to start with. I work as a linux admin but I wouldnt install it on my parents computer. Until it reaches a level of usability where my parents can just click on a downloaded file to install software or can install hardware without having to consult man pages and recompile kernels its going no where as far as the masses go. Apple is there as an alternative but its just as if not more restrictive and proprietary than windows, there just isnt as much money to go after.

BTW as far as this lawsuit goes, its been tossed out once and no matter how much I hated Microsoft I woudnt be rooting for Alcatel/Lucent on this one, its a bad patent and is broad and generic enough that they will likely come after your favorite products next if precient is set.

[ku16610]

I think most would agree that if the only way an alternative becomes viable is to handcuff the competition than it wasnt much of a alternative to start with. I work as a linux admin but I wouldnt install it on my parents computer. Until it reaches a level of usability where my parents can just click on a downloaded file to install software or can install hardware without having to consult man pages and recompile kernels its going no where as far as the masses go. Apple is there as an alternative but its just as if not more restrictive and proprietary than windows, there just isnt as much money to go after.

BTW as far as this lawsuit goes, its been tossed out once and no matter how much I hated Microsoft I woudnt be rooting for Alcatel/Lucent on this one, its a bad patent and is broad and generic enough that they will likely come after your favorite products next if precient is set.

So you haven't tried ubuntu ?

[pCeSlAyEr]

So you haven't tried ubuntu ?

its not quite there yet.

[OzMick]

Get real, someone from ms at least invented ctrl+alt+delete :D

Sorry, MS didn't invent that either. They just brought it into common use because you need to reset their lousy OS so often.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control-Alt-Delete

[msanchez]

its not quite there yet.

You gotta admit that distros today are 10000 times easier to use than 2 - 3 years ago.

Sorry, MS didn't invent that either. They just brought it into common use because you need to reset their lousy OS so often.

I think you'll sooner remember something sony might have originally invented than something ms did.

[nolifeking]

MS never invented anything. They just steal technology so I guess they deserved this.

The Brits would probably have kept France if they could. No one hates the French like a Brit. Another funny thing is, if it wasn't for good old mother Russia, the whole world would be "The United States of Germany".

True True... Although this was meant as a joke, so for everyone else to get their panties in a twist is pretty funny.

[grapeape]

So you haven't tried ubuntu ?

Of course I've tried ubuntu its great for looking newbie friendly but I still would rather have my testicles removed with a pair of fondue forks than have to support any of my family members running it. Automatix when it works would make my mother completely insane and the lack of default support for many devices would make just installing it for them a pain. I could just imagine the first time i tried to explain apt-get to my father. No thanks. I'll keep linux on my machine where I can keep things under control and let them keep their windows it works and they can remain as computer illiterate as they wish.