threesixty
Registered
This whole thing is disturbing. I understand how a lot of people on this site must be overjoyed at Bill getting hit so badly but the implications for this are a bit worrying..
Software development is a risky field to apply patent laws to, because quite often there is only one convienient way of solving a problem. For example, all high score charts are in video games are created with roughly the same sorting algorithim. Some are more streamlined than others but the principals the same. If in 1979 I patented that routine, every game company in the world would owe me billions!! That cant be right. At some stage it becomes obvious that there is one way of doing things, and thats that. I dont see that the Microsoft IE case is any different to the high score routine example.
Microsoft didnt steal the companies code. It wasnt as if Microsoft stole whole chunks of design from this company, just that the company had a concept. Quakes 3d engine is essentially a concept, do they own the patent for first perspective 3d games?
I dont even think Microsoft knew this company existed or had a patent. What about Safari, Mozilla? etc.. Is Apple likely to get sued as well.
I hope MS win on appeal cos this judgement is really going to set back software development...
Software development is a risky field to apply patent laws to, because quite often there is only one convienient way of solving a problem. For example, all high score charts are in video games are created with roughly the same sorting algorithim. Some are more streamlined than others but the principals the same. If in 1979 I patented that routine, every game company in the world would owe me billions!! That cant be right. At some stage it becomes obvious that there is one way of doing things, and thats that. I dont see that the Microsoft IE case is any different to the high score routine example.
Microsoft didnt steal the companies code. It wasnt as if Microsoft stole whole chunks of design from this company, just that the company had a concept. Quakes 3d engine is essentially a concept, do they own the patent for first perspective 3d games?
I dont even think Microsoft knew this company existed or had a patent. What about Safari, Mozilla? etc.. Is Apple likely to get sued as well.
I hope MS win on appeal cos this judgement is really going to set back software development...
