Microsoft, Autodesk Lose Patent Appeal

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Remember that patent infringement case against Microsoft and Autodesk over the use of two passwords during product activation? Well the appeals court sided against MS and Autodesk so the two companies will have to pay out more that $140 million.

Commerce Township, Mich.-based z4 argued that Microsoft's Windows XP and Office 2003 suite of productivity software used its patented method of asking computer users to supply two passwords, or authorization codes, before they could fully use new software. The technology in question also can be used to deactivate software.
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I'm in the wrong business. What I need to do is invent a patent on some obscure technology, then wait for a big company to unknowingly break it, and then cash in. Retire.
 
Is there a patent for 3 passwords? Maybe I should get inventing just in case.
 
With al these big names taking big financial hits due to questionable patents, you'd really think there would be more of a push for a patent system reform. Has any effort or progress been made on change or is it all just wishing at this point?
 
Wow Microsoft has to pay 140 million while AutoDesk pays 18 million.. Do I detect some really anti-Microsoft judgement going on here?
 
Azhar said:
Wow Microsoft has to pay 140 million while AutoDesk pays 18 million.. Do I detect some really anti-Microsoft judgement going on here?
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Microsoft has more money and is easier to groug, no mistake there, that sucks.
 
Azhar said:
Wow Microsoft has to pay 140 million while AutoDesk pays 18 million.. Do I detect some really anti-Microsoft judgement going on here?
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i think they sold a few more copies of xp and office than autodesk sold copies of 3d studio, maya, autocad etc.
 
Z4 Technologies, Inc. seems like a big ass-kissing company.

http://www.z4.com/default.php

Heavily focused on DRM technology, copyright protection, etc etc..

I bet RIAA donated money to them to hire lawyers to fight Microsoft and AutoDesk :p

(yes I know it's farfetched. I was being silly.)
 
Just filled out a patent query for 3 passwords... HELLO money !! j/k

.... seriously, tech stuff shouldn't be patentable if anyone can easily reproduce it.
They need to kick the guys at the pattent office, they seem to be really old and/or unknowledgable about programming.
 
Obi_Kwiet said:
The appeals court is full if idiots, it seems.
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All they do is try to do a literal translation of the case vs. the current written law, regardless for how little sense is makes.. Something a computer could do.. They completely forget to apply logic or common sense.
 
Azhar said:
Z4 Technologies, Inc. seems like a big ass-kissing company.

http://www.z4.com/default.php
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Yeah who made that site? The guy's four year old? And the "company" in fact truly does nothing but come up with obvious ideas and then sit on them. The "owner" is probably still living in a trailer until his gravy train arrives.

Problem MS had though is if you read the decision the patent appears to be a detailed, nearly exact pre-copy of MS's activation process. This should've come up in patent research by MS. It's sloppy work on their part to try and deal with it after you make a copy of a process someone else wrote out (and patented) first. The verdict would've been tossed if there was no legal basis for the jury's decision, oh well. A minute check from Microsoft and we now have some very wealthy attorneys and some guy living in a trailer or his mom's basement can move out.
 
I enjoy that Autodesk is quoted on their site, " 'As the world's fifth-largest PC software company, Autodesk is reminded of this problem daily. If not for piracy, Autodesk's revenues would be at least twice what they are currently. The ripple effect goes far beyond the software industry, impacting jobs, tax revenues and the economy of every country that creates and markets software.' " ...I guess their revenues would be even higher if they hadn't just lost this lawsuit......
 
mad3d said:
I enjoy that Autodesk is quoted on their site, " 'As the world's fifth-largest PC software company, Autodesk is reminded of this problem daily. If not for piracy, Autodesk's revenues would be at least twice what they are currently. The ripple effect goes far beyond the software industry, impacting jobs, tax revenues and the economy of every country that creates and markets software.' " ...I guess their revenues would be even higher if they hadn't just lost this lawsuit......
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AutoCAD are a sore bunch.... they REALLY need to make upgrade packages that cost... ~100 dollars.... maybe ~200... if they just sold a single copy of autocad for what they are charging, they'd make thier R&D up, but these people will consistently charge you 1600 dollars for software every single year... and they've conditioned the architects and engineers to all upgrade at the same time so they can keep up with joe shmo architect down the street who really doesn't care to backsave....

autodesk runs quite the racket, and they still complain
 
I use autoCAD daily. And because it's so expensive I'm hardly ever working with the latest version. Which can be really frustrating. Mostly because there are some really cool features in later versions that I NEED. Just because it would increase my productivity by 50% isn't a reason to upgrade. And another thing, if your willing to pay your engineers 50K+ a year, why the hell can't the company buy new computers every year or two and keep the software up to date. We're talking less than 10% of the salary and they're destroying productivitiy. (This is a multinational company too. :()

Errr sorry for the rant/thread jack.
 
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