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Microsoft Faces Damages Over NetMeeting Patent

Tom Warren   on 19 November 2003 - 15:46 · 15 comments & 652 views

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Microsoft faces $62.3 million in damages after a jury's decision that the software giant willfully infringed on a patent held by printing software player Imagexpo, LLC, in its NetMeeting whiteboarding feature.

The lawsuit, brought against Microsoft in Oct. 2002 in federal court in Richmond, Va., stemmed from charges that the company infringed on a patent covering real-time conferencing. The patent is held by Imagexpo, a subsidiary of industrial and flow technology concern SPX Corporation that develops remote softproofing and annotation software for the printing industry.

That software centers around a tool that enables multi-person conferences for the purpose of reviewing and editing prepress images. In its lawsuit, Imagexpo claimed that the whiteboarding feature in Windows NetMeeting infringed on the patent protecting that tool.

Microsoft spokespeople maintained the company had independently developed the technology underlying NetMeeting, a chat and collaboration tool that has been a part of Microsoft Windows for years.

News source: Internetnews.com


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Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 15 additional comments
(1 reply) #1 mh508 on 19 Nov 2003 - 15:52
oh poor Microsoft
#1.1 mipra on 20 Nov 2003 - 02:52
hahaha...
#2 Raptor on 19 Nov 2003 - 16:31
This is just insane now.
#3 machorro on 19 Nov 2003 - 16:36
ok why don't neowin adds another news page i mean we have Gamers, Main page and software they should add now Patents Infrigments(spelling?)

there are more news about patents infrigments(again spelling?) that technology...
#4 g33kb0y on 19 Nov 2003 - 17:20
*tsk tsk*
#5 aristotle-dude on 19 Nov 2003 - 17:21
I'm no fan of MS but this is crazy. Patents are stupid. Hey guys, I've patented breathing. Pay up or die.
(3 replies) #6 Grappa on 19 Nov 2003 - 18:57
Patents aren't stupid, but the way they're being given to EVERYTHING nowadays is.

Besides, I've never met anyone who used the blackboard feature anyway!


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#6.1 pctuk on 19 Nov 2003 - 19:15
It's whiteboard - blackboards are soooooo 1950s.
#6.2 xp99 on 19 Nov 2003 - 20:28
Actually I used it maybe once with a friend. We just drew on it back and forth to each other. Not a big deal. But that patent is stupid It didn't create something new, it patented an idea. There product does the same thing as what you can do in netmeeting. That's the only reason their being sued for.
#6.3 aristotle-dude on 19 Nov 2003 - 20:40
QUOTE (#6.0)
Patents aren't stupid, but the way they're being given to EVERYTHING nowadays is.

Just because they are given out for everything these days does not make them less stupid. Some guy patented swinging on a swing in a circular motion while pounding their chests and making a noise like tarzan.

The patent office in the US is smoking too much crack these days.

Obvious things which are easily discoverable should not receive a patent. You should only receive a patent if your process/product is unique and not obvious.

Electronic white boards are the obvious extension of a physical white board in a meeting room. I'm sure there were other white board collaborative software out there before that company "thought" of the idea.
#7 AJCrowley Esq on 19 Nov 2003 - 20:36
I'm by no means a Microsoft lover, but what is patentable has become ludicrous. I'm surprised that nobody has yet patented software updates over the internet...maybe I should try and get that patent myself, then sue the pants off Microsoft (Windows Update), Symantec (LiveUpdate), and anyone else who infringes on my intellectual property. Damn, maybe I'll just patent vowels, and anyone using a word with a vowel in must pay me royalties.
#8 aristotle-dude on 19 Nov 2003 - 20:42
When the revolution comes, the patent lawyers will be the first to go.
#9 PseudoRandomDragon on 19 Nov 2003 - 20:44
I like NetMeeting, the stuff you can do with it is cool.
(1 reply) #10 mipra on 20 Nov 2003 - 02:52
Netmeeting will be a great choice for people who dont use Messenger
#10.1 JJ6829 on 22 Nov 2003 - 06:46
will be? its been around since what, Win98?

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