schmag

March 22, 2011 at 6:46am

am I the only one that read this passage?

Google makes the open source Android operating system, but does not indemnify companies that use it. That means all the legal heat is on them.

meaning microsoft isn't sueing google because the are afraid to.... meaning it is not googles implentation or device and they cannot lawfully sue google over what someone else has done with their software.

 

I like google as much as everyone else including android. I can remember bouncing searches off the servers chilling in their garage. what has microsoft done that is so wrong? they are protecting their company just like anyone else. google has this whole I do no wrong image to them images are only a small fraction of a company. if you bash on a company that makes something you willingly use I get it. you just don't get it.

I am in the IT industry and I thank Microsoft. it is because of them that I can know 1 OS or a series of similar os's and be able to work in various industries around the world. I don't have to learn the ins and outs of 50 OS's and sit in training for 50 hours while I am introduced to a proprietary OS.

Hydian

March 22, 2011 at 5:25am

Mozilla was late to the MDI/tabbed browsing party.  Not the first of the current gen browsers to impliment it (none of which was the first to do so anyway.)

ShyLinuxGuy

March 21, 2011 at 8:24pm

Is Microsoft pulling an Apple? Is it pulling a Sony?

@aarcane: Yes, tabbed interfaces AFAIK are Mozilla's thing, but MS may have stolen the chance for Moz to patent it. Companies patent pretty petty stuff but the patent system allows it.

@someuid, et al: You're right. MS excels in its Windows and Office products, and some of its enterprise products as well such as Windows Server/SQL server et al, but they just need to face that their company has always been about PC OSes and software and relatively recently maybe entertainment (Xbox). That's it. The Zune was a flop, for example. They sat on their hands until Apple released the iPod, and scrambled to come up with a competing product which didn't compete well vs. the iPod. Same thing is happening with phones and now tablets.

aarcane

March 21, 2011 at 6:33pm

how could microsoft Legitimately hold patents on tabbed interfaces?  Mozilla had tabbed interface before IE, and GTK had tabbed windowed interfaces before Microsoft did.. 

someuid

March 21, 2011 at 3:43pm

The MS empire is starting to crumble.  They can't get it together in the mobile OS market and this is their only other optioin: thwart the competition while they lumber around, trying to cobble something together.

This didn't work very well for SCO.  I don't know why MS thinks it will be any different this time.

nmanguy

March 21, 2011 at 3:33pm

I don't think it matters if Microsoft is 100% being screwed, they would have such a biased judg ethey couldn't win. I remember just last year they got banned by some guy in Texas from selling Word without changing it. If I were Microsoft, I would rent the rights for that patent to Apple-do-no-wrong, have them sue the crap out of B&N, and then split the profits 50/50.

tornato7

March 21, 2011 at 3:24pm

Microsoft is a wimp and won't sue google directly, since they know they would lose. They are trying to scare companies into not using android

chiroho

March 21, 2011 at 3:24pm

I think it shows MS is finding itself behind in the phone, tablet markets, browser (outside corporate markets), and add markets and is using the "sue everyone" approach to try and get at Google through companies developing based on Google platforms. 

Danthrax66

March 21, 2011 at 2:50pm

I think Barnes and Noble should take them to court Microsoft is still an enemy in the court systems and this could result in a change in copyright law. Seriously most of these "intellectual property" lawsuits are complete bullshit just like the system itself.