Microsoft sues TomTom

As seen in this TechFlash article, Microsoft has launched a patent suit against TomTom, a seller of (Linux-based) navigation devices. "It's believed to be the first time Microsoft has filed a patent suit over Linux, after claiming for years that elements of the open-source operating system violate its patents. However, Microsoft says open-source software is not the intended focal point of the action."

The complaint [PDF] is online. The patents involved are 6,175,789 (Vehicle computer system with open platform), 7,054,745 (Method and system for generating driving directions), 6,704,032 (Methods and Arrangements for Interacting with Controllable Objects within a Graphical User Interface Environment Using Various Input Mechanisms), 7,117,286 (Portable computing device-integrated appliance), 6,202,008 (Vehicle computer system with wireless internet), 5,579,517 (Common name space for long and short filenames), 5,758,352 (Common name space for long and short filenames, again), and 6,256,642 (Method and System for File System Management Using a Flash-Erasable, Programmable, Read-only Memory). Stay tuned, it could be interesting.

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