Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads, mo

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Hanki
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Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads, mo

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mightyglydd
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by mightyglydd »

GEICO ?
#KeepFightingMichael and Alex.
supergirl260
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microsoft buys netscape patents

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flaneurb
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by flaneurb »

All the better to sue you with, my dear!
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Omega X
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

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They can't do anything. Any related patents were granted use a long time ago.
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Grumpus
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

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Won't stop them from instigating suit to bankrupt anyone.
Since AOL was DOS based to begin with there could be a lot of of room for technical confusion and legal shenanigans.
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rsx11m
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by rsx11m »

Some more details are given in this CNET article. For example, if #5,657,390 patenting SSL extends into today's TLS implementations (or even a part of it), they could either deny other vendors to use it or ask for ridiculous royalties. That would be similar to the GIF patents which were suddenly executed after being dormant for a while. I'm not a lawyer in any way, thus have no clue which patents they could exercise in this way, but silencing your competitors certainly would be a strong motivation to pay a lot of money for seemingly outdated patents... :?
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condorito
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

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Aren't those patents either expired, or about to expire?
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by patrickjdempsey »

Seems like MS just wants to protect their own technologies from someone coming in and buying those patents for nothing and then claiming intellectual property over core MS products.
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Omega X
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by Omega X »

Grumpus wrote:Won't stop them from instigating suit to bankrupt anyone.
Since AOL was DOS based to begin with there could be a lot of of room for technical confusion and legal shenanigans.
I better sharpen my colored pencils.


It won't happen against Web Browsers or they will reignite the Antitrust train.

Also if any of those patents were filed on or before 1995, they are either expired or will expire in about 3 years.
Cru_N_cher
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by Cru_N_cher »

Hmm I guess this could impact @ least Seamonkey if Microsoft wants to impact anything else then self protecting them in the first place, but less Firefox.
Though the watch out bought Netscape is totally panic making idiocity just to have some seo impacts (publicity) :P
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Grumpus
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

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Omega X wrote:Also if any of those patents were filed on or before 1995, they are either expired or will expire in about 3 years.

Unfortunately some patents like copyrights are renewable.
Might be interesting to see which ones were in the pile.
Basic components, less than browsers but maybe bits and pieces.
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VanillaMozilla
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by VanillaMozilla »

Good grief, that actually is a real patent, unlike most software patents I've seen recently. Netscape should have used it against Microsoft. Or did they?
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Re: Microsoft buys 800 patents from AOL covering search, ads

Post by rsx11m »

Cru_N_cher wrote:Hmm I guess this could impact @ least Seamonkey if Microsoft wants to impact anything else then self protecting them in the first place, but less Firefox.

What makes you think that? Firefox is using the same backend technology that came from the Mozilla Suite, thus if Microsoft wants to assert any of those old patents (to whatever current software pieces still in use or derived ones they may apply) and claim they are the only ones who are allowed to use them now (notwithstanding the question if they can do that, if they intend do do that, and if they actually would do that) it should equally affect all Mozilla applications.
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