Bonum Certa Men Certa

Why Microsoft Still Loves Software Patents

Love coffee



Summary: Some of the latest developments in an unnecessary dimension of patents and how they help show that Microsoft needs software patents

EVERY NOW AND then we find an odd suggestion that Microsoft dislikes software patents due to cases like i4i vs Microsoft. It is immensely valuable for Microsoft to give such an impression -- basically lobbying for particular laws that bring enormous benefits to itself while the public believes the opposite (and thus does not resent Microsoft). Tax law is another example of that and it relies on the whole "job creation" nonsense (phrases which people love to hear without questioning them, e.g. "patents help increase innovation").



Microsoft has already produced some very large patent trolls, including Traul [sic] Allen (the recently-emergent example). A columnist at Mercury News considers it to be proof that the USPTO is broken.

If Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen accomplishes nothing else with his wide-ranging lawsuit claiming that almost every major Internet company has stolen his firm's ideas, at least we can give him credit for reminding us of the troublesome flaws in the U.S. patent system.


Dave Methvin says that Microsoft wins in the Java patents hell storm, which may end without much disruption because the Oracle vs Google case lacks tying to a particular machine. As Wayne puts it:

Another question involves the ‘specific machine’ issue. Pamela Jones wrote about this, and it could be very important. When I read the patents I didn’t see any tie them to a specific machine. The issue surrounds the constantly shifting U.S. Patent rules, which change every time a major patent court case happens. If it is deemed that a patent must be tied to a specific machine, then the patents are invalid, and Oracle looses.

Even if the patents don’t have to be tied to a specific machine, there is a good chance that they will fail, due to the subject matter being predated by something else, or by being ruled obvious, in which case Oracle loses. I’ve read the patents, and the things that they are talking about were implemented at least fifteen to twenty years previously in Unix.


We recently explained how and why Microsoft already makes money from Android [1, 2]. It's due to software patents, or at least an empty allegation relating to them. "Well, well," wrote Groklaw, "And here we were wondering why all of a sudden everyone seems to be suing Android. Microsoft would like you to know that they indemnify, and that the Android lawsuits are costly. That is very like what Microsoft said when SCO sued IBM, after Microsoft paid SCO millions, that they would indemnify and that Linux would be plagued by litigation for years."

“Microsoft would like you to know that they indemnify, and that the Android lawsuits are costly.”
      --Pamela Jones, Groklaw
It is true that Microsoft has many software patents, but lots of them are absolutely worthless. As an example we gave the shutdown patent, which has been covered here at least 3 times already [1, 2, 3]. It is still being covered in some Web sites because it helps show lack of ingenuity that passes the USPTO's tests and the poor quality Microsoft aims for. "This is odd," Groklaw wrote. "Maybe I'm missing something, but Microsoft has gotten a patent on a "scheme" to shut down an operating system. The claims seem to say that it's about when you want to shut down, but you forgot you have unsaved work, so in Windows or a Mac, you get prompted to save it if you want. The patent is a system that saves it for you automatically. The patent says, "The following aspects will focus on a Windows based operating system. It will be understood, however, that aspects of the invention will apply similarly to other operating systems including, but not limited to, Mac and Linux based operating systems.

"But Linux has always done this. It's one of my favorite things about Linux, that if you want to shut down, or even do it by mistake, it saves everything for you. I just wanted to mention it, because if some legal gnome at Microsoft has a "scheme" in mind for this patent, as in $$$ from Linux, this is just to point out that the supremely clueless USPTO just gave Microsoft a patent on something with tons of prior art, unless there is some detail I'm missing."

In addition to "ActiveSync tax" in Android, Microsoft is also said to be in the position of 'owning' simple ideas with digital/physical metaphors such as mail priority (trivial ideas turned digital). "Microsoft had a 'priority email inbox' way before Google, and has patents to prove it," says this one report that's echoed elsewhere. Well, another little report has the headline "The New Xbox 360 Controller Is Really About Patents [Microsoft Introduces A New Xbox 360 Controller With A New D-Pad That Scoots Around Nintendo Patents]".

As the Edison story keeps spreading further (now coming to Wired), it is easy to foresee an analogy between Edison's attitude and Microsoft's. They both merely exploit the system and take credit for other people's idea.

Since Microsoft sells many software licences, software patents are crucial to its survival, especially in an age when it can no longer sell much of its own software. To Microsoft's future software patents are needed and without such patents, software will be freer. Microsoft can't afford letting software be free (not the same as "open").

"There's free software [gratis, dumpware] and then there’s open source... there is this thing called the GPL, which we disagree with."

--Bill Gates, April 2008

Recent Techrights' Posts

Brett Wilson LLP "Takes it Personal" (Character Assassination, Not Professionalism). Everybody Can See That.
On behalf of violent men
Pissing Contests and Pissing Off Everyone
people who came from Microsoft are trying to vex and divide the community
Microsoft Repeats the Mistakes Made by the EPO After We Exposed a Major Microsoft/EPO Scandal 10 Years Ago
That scandal was all over the media, not just in English
Turns Out LLMs for Code Don't Save Time and Don't Improve Quality
Neither legal nor useful
 
More EPO Leaks on the Way
We hope that Mr. Rowan will actually try to refute what we say and show, not merely point the finger at the messengers
Decommodification is a Corporate Strategy Against Communities
systemd is led by Microsoft and hosted by Microsoft
People Who Assault Women Are Not Victims of "Distress"
It seems like an American tradition. In a country with almost 50 presidents, not even one was a female.
copyleft.org 'Hijacked' by the People Who Attack the Person Who Created Copyleft
So far there's nothing "tasteless" in copyleft.org, but that can change at any time in the future
Asking People to Take Down Articles and Videos Only Makes These More Popular and "Viral"
If you do something bad, one of the worst things you can possibly do it try to silence those who speak about it
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, July 13, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, July 13, 2025
Two-Thirds Towards FSF Goal, Richard Stallman to Give Talks in Europe
There are 67 left before reaching the target
Gemini Links 14/07/2025: Politicised Tech and "Leaving GitHub"
Links for the day
The Demise of LLMs
We've just checked BetaNews again. They've dropped all the slop and went back to human authors.
Gemini Links 13/07/2025: Sonpo Museum of Art and FCEUX
Links for the day
Links 13/07/2025: UnitedHealth's Censorship Campaign, Australia Wary of China
Links for the day
Firing Away With Nonsense
Or fighting fire with fire
Links 13/07/2025: Climate Crisis, GAFAM Poisoning the Water
Links for the day
The Microsofters Will Have an Obligation to Compensate Us
This story isn't just about Microsoft. It's also about corruption, there are many women victims, there is abject "abuse of process", and many more scandals to be illuminated in years to come.
Reproducing at the EPO Instead of Producing Monopolies for Foreign Monopolies With Their Price-Fixing Cartels
Does the EPO recognise the need of well-educated Europeans to bear kids?
Valnet Inc. Dominates Real (Not LLM Slop) GNU/Linux Coverage in 2025
And likely in prior years, too
Free Software Foundation (FSF) Fund Raiser Goes on
Later this month we'll expose another OSI scandal
EPO Staff Representatives Issue a Warning About Staff's Health and Inadequate Care
Even the EPO's own stakeholders (money sources) are openly protesting against what the EPO became
Links 13/07/2025: Partly Assorted News From Deutsche Welle and CBC
Links for the day
Gemini Links 13/07/2025: Board Games and Battle Styles
Gemini Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, July 12, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, July 12, 2025
Plunder at the Second-Largest Institution in Europe
cuts, neglect, health problems, even early deaths
Links 12/07/2025: Political Developments, Attack on Opposition, Climate Actions
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/07/2025: Melodic Musings and Small Web July
Links for the day
Links 12/07/2025: Jail in China for Homoerotica, South Korea Discriminates Against Old Workers
Links for the day
If Only Everything Was Rewritten in Rust, We'd Have No More Security Issues?
Nope.
Links 12/07/2025: Birdwatching and Fake/Misleading Wall Street 'Valuation' Figures
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/07/2025: How to Avoid Writing, Apps for Android
Links for the day
Using SLAPPs to Cover Up Sexual Abuse and Strangulation
The exact same legal team of the Serial Strangler from Microsoft and Garrett already has a history fighting against "metoo"
EPO Staff Committee on Harassment in the Workplace
slides
Adding the Voice of Writers to UK SLAPP Reform
The journey to repair antiquated (monarchy era) laws will likely be long
EPO Takes More Money From Staff for Speculation (Pensions), Actuarial Study Explains the Impact
"The key change in this year’s Actuarial Study, due to cascading the new “risk appetite” from the financial study, is a significant increase of the total pension contribution rate of 5.7 percentage points, up to a total of 37.8%. This is driven by an unprecedented decrease in the discount rate of 105 bps down to 2.2%."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, July 11, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, July 11, 2025