Posts by MajorBloodnok

Google drive cloud to rain on Apple, Dropbox parade

An even smaller step than you might think; you can upload any old file to Google Docs.

Microsoft vs Google patent ding dong gets stuck on repeat

Re: Short sighted reactionary crap

He said SOFTWARE patents

Regular patents that allow private drug companies to recoup the money they spend developing drugs - good.

Software copyright allowing hard working developers to create code without people being able to copy their code - good.

Software patents - patenting vague ideas like double clicking or progress bars - bad. So bad European law refuses to recognise the wrethed bloody things.

Not exactly, no

"They could have signed up to reduce future licensing issues; a perfectly defensive strategy."

Well not really. If these software patents where ther only software patents in the world that mattered then it would be perfect. But that's not the case and MS and Oracle are already actively trying to screw Android at the moment with dodgy patents. Entering into this cartel wouldn't have stopped that. It just would have just taken these patents out of game, at the expense of being seen to be climing into bed with MS and Oracle.

"Defensive my arse"

What exactly are you basing that on? There's a difference between holding something as a deterrent and using it to aggressively go after someone. There's no reason to believe google would have used these patents aggressivley given their track record, and every reason to suspect MS would have used them aggressively given half a chance - the DOJ thought it likely enough to necessitate them stepping in after all.

Ooooh there's a lot of deliberate ingenuity going on here...

Frank's rebuttal (which carefully avoids the accusation that the Nortell patents are going to be used to try to screw some more ill gotten gains out of Android) is pretty fatuous...

"Why? BECAUSE they wanted to buy something that they could use to assert against someone else."

Well yes. Specifically Microsoft, who have agressively using software patents to try to screw money out of Android. Hence making entering a joint agreement with you rather pointless.

"reducing patent liability across industry"

???? Across the industry my arse. Across the partners in this rather cozy little group maybe. What it really translates to is "We offered you the opportunity to buy into our gang of companies and you said no! Why? We can be trusted! Look at our long track record of not using software patents to bully money out of other companies!"