Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN) [LWN.net]

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 10:35 UTC (Mon) by NigelK (guest, #42083)
In reply to: Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN) by macc
Parent article: Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Maybe, but that sounds like chopping the head off a hydra - whilst you're getting one patent invalidated, MS will have filed several more.

Reform of the US patent system is needed, plain and simple.

(Log in to post comments)

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 16:48 UTC (Mon) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link]

Interesting you should say that... I was picturing the same analogy but in reverse. Worst case, Microsoft declares total war on Linux and starts using patents to gun down development teams at Red Hat, IBM, etc. Each team that gets lopped off in Sunnyvale or Westford will just grow back in Bangalore or Shanghai. Irritating, yes, but not a big deal from the global picture.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 18:51 UTC (Mon) by salimma (subscriber, #34460) [Link]

Unless you're a programmer paid by a US company to work on open source. Getting your job outsourced for legal reason would be much more infuriating than getting your job outsourced for cost reasons.

Take it to your Congress Critter

Posted May 15, 2007 9:17 UTC (Tue) by AnswerGuy (subscriber, #1256) [Link]

If this results in any significant number of lost jobs in the U.S. then you can imagine that everyone who loses his or her job ... and every relative of each of them ... and any co-workers who were barely missed by the axe ... and *their* relatives will all be leaning on representatives and senators.

This would be U.S. patent armageddon. It would finally push the matter far enough into the light that Joe Sixpack would raise a stink about it.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 14, 2007 16:55 UTC (Mon) by smoogen (subscriber, #97) [Link]

That is another hydra problem.. the only way to slay both of them is to use Iolaus's solution. Cut the head off and burn the head. By showing how broken the patent system is you can convince the honest politician to fix the system. By showing how corrupt Microsoft can be in bribing politicians.. you can show how to fix that system.

Microsoft takes on the free world (CNN)

Posted May 15, 2007 8:45 UTC (Tue) by frankie (subscriber, #13593) [Link]

Ack, US software patenting is evil, plain and simple.