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Microsoft Sued over Live Tile Patent Infringement


14 replies to this topic * * * * * 1 votes

#1 Tyler R.

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:02

Quote

SurfCast, in a complaint filed yesterday in a U.S. District Court in Maine, said Microsoft infringes one of its four patents -- No. 6,724,403 -- by "making, using, selling, and offering to sell devices and software products" covered by SurfCast's patent. That includes mobile devices using the Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 operating systems as well as PCs using Windows 8/RT.

This is a drawing of their patent:

Attached Image: SurfCast_patent_application_610x587.png

More in the link: http://news.cnet.com...ows-live-tiles/


#2 Hum

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:04

Bye bye Metro :)

#3 OP Tyler R.

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:16

They would probably have to pay big bucks to have the patent licensed to them

#4 Reverend Spam

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:29

Jesus... Doesn't anyone do their homework in the business world anymore??

#5 OP Tyler R.

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:31

View PostReverend Spam, on 31 October 2012 - 17:29, said:

Jesus... Doesn't anyone do their homework in the business world anymore??

Sadly, No.

#6 +Brando212

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:32

http://www.neowin.ne...t-on-live-tiles

and this is stupid. 1. this company is obviously a patent troll and has no intention with ever doing anything with the patent. and 2. Microsoft's live tiles have almost NO resemblance to that patent

#7 OP Tyler R.

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:34

View PostBrando212, on 31 October 2012 - 17:32, said:

http://www.neowin.ne...t-on-live-tiles

and this is stupid. 1. this company is obviously a patent troll and has no intention with ever doing anything with the patent. and 2. Microsoft's live tiles have almost NO resemblance to that patent

See my comment at the bottom of that article. When I started writing this, it was not yet on the front page. I think we published at the same time. whoops!!!

#8 Tony.

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Posted 31 October 2012 - 17:36

This company has clearly waited for Microsoft to release Windows 8 and WP8 so they can sue Microsoft. Reminds of the MP3 patent years ago, it had been out and used for so long then the creator decided to sue everyone for a ton of $$$.

#9 FloatingFatMan

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Posted 01 November 2012 - 07:27

Does this company actually have a product based on their patent? If no, then like ALL other companies that do this, their patent should be disqualified.

It's the only way to cut down on this ridiculous trolling nonsense. No product, no patent.

#10 +remixedcat

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Posted 01 November 2012 - 19:46

Never even heard of this surfcast...

#11 vetGrowled

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Posted 02 November 2012 - 00:49

View PostReverend Spam, on 31 October 2012 - 17:29, said:

Jesus... Doesn't anyone do their homework in the business world anymore??

I wonder what they pay all those lawyers for anyway?

#12 still1

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Posted 03 November 2012 - 02:54

wow software patents should be abandoned.

#13 MDboyz

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Posted 03 November 2012 - 03:26

MS does have their own patent on the live tiles.

http://www.google.co...s/US20070082707

Surfcast is like iframe. There is nothing like the way MS implements their live tiles.

#14 vetGrowled

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Posted 04 November 2012 - 00:29

View PostMDboyz, on 03 November 2012 - 03:26, said:

Surfcast is like iframe. There is nothing like the way MS implements their live tiles.

You never know how our goofy judicial system is going to rule on something, though.

#15 rfirth

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Posted 04 November 2012 - 00:35

Those aren't live tiles. That's a tiled interface, like Windows 1.0...

Posted Image