Mood:
hungryNow Playing: 'Finding It Funny' Detectives looking for clues sit on evidence. (Thriller / Cooking)
Topic: Microsoft and VCSY
If you will look at the following few timeline indications, it's fairly easy to see why Microsoft squealed like a stuck pig about how unfair patents were and how everybody else should have to play by the same rules.
There are other indications but apparently one must understand a bit more than how to open a magazine to see: Timeline Vershtinken
November 18, 2004 Ballmer accuses Linux of violating >258 patents
November 30, 2004 VCSY SiteFlash Patent granted
February 7, 2007 VCSY sends Microsoft cease and desist on US 6,826,744
[patent granted November 30, 2004]
Fact: Mister Ballmer had an opportunity to know when the VCSY SiteFlash patent would be granted in November of 2004. Mister Ballmer had no way of knowing when he would receive the C&D on the SiteFlash patent in February of 2007. Thus, a little ahead, a little behind. Always the way things go when one has a combination of a little head and a little "but".
May 14th, 2007
Microsoft’s patent claim: Where’s the beef?
Posted by Larry Dignan @ 11:01 amMicrosoft says free and open source software infringes on 235 of its patents. The real motive for Microsoft's patent volley may be the third version of the General Public License.
But following this patent back and forth (see Techmeme and Fortune article) is a lot like eating a condiment sandwich–it would be much better with some meat. How about some details. What exactly are these patents about? I can look at Ubuntu (see right) and say "hey this is Windows-ish." Is that a patent problem?and say "hey this is Windows-ish." Is that a patent problem?
Meanwhile, I've read the official Microsoft line but am left with a few outstanding things that make me go hmm.
- Did these execs speak out of turn–or was every last sentence planned?
- What's the motive–there has to be more than the GPL?
- Why bring up all this patent stuff now–especially since Microsoft has no motivation to sue–yet?
Without some real information on these patents that open source is trouncing it's a case of patent he said, she said. Like Adrian Kingsley-Hughes notes though, I'd be surprised if there weren't patent problems. This patent banter is leaving me hungry–much like a condiment sandwich.
Put some roast beef between them buns and it's so good it'll make you slap your granny.
