Microsoft on Tuesday made broadly available an Internet Explorer update related to a high-profile patent spat with a start-up backed by the University of California.

The update changes how the browser handles Web programs known as ActiveX controls. The changes can impact how certain sites display. Microsoft recommends Web developers tweak their pages or consumers will have to make an extra click to get to some content, such as Macromedia Flash-based animations or media content.

News source: C|Net News.com






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(3 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #1 Posted by em_te on 01 Mar 2006 - 06:06
Good opportunity to spread Firefox!
Quote this comment #1.1 Posted by Deathray on 01 Mar 2006 - 06:10
no... just a useless update to get
Quote this comment #1.2 Posted by mrbester on 01 Mar 2006 - 11:31
No, OP is correct. Install the update and compare www.macromedia.com in FF and IE. You don't even get a box that says "oh, by the way, Flash is here, but I'm not running it because of some retarded patent ruling that has buggered up the site of the people who make Flash"
This update isn't listed as critical, that means it'll just take longer to penetrate the market. The more conscientious user that always uses "Custom Install" on WU will note the update and normally go along the lines of "well, Microsoft seems to think it needs installing, and it seems to apply to me" and will install it. Then they start swearing and switch to FF because they can't see their favourite Flash site...

Edit: It appears that this seems to be a Windows Server 2003 security thang; Macromedia's Flash menu just works (no click required) in IE according to the MSDN page due to it being scripted from an external file...

Last edited by mrbester on 01 Mar 2006 - 12:43
Quote this comment #1.3 Posted by neufuse on 01 Mar 2006 - 15:28
not really because ALL browsers are covered under the patent... eventually they will sue them too and opera and all the other ones until they all cave in...
(2 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #2 Posted by Jugalator on 01 Mar 2006 - 07:22
One stupid thing about software patents is that this common browser has to adapt for a technology that doesn't seem to be in use by any software. And simply that another company has a say in how Microsoft's browser handles one of their own technologies (and Macromedia's) is very strange.
Quote this comment #2.1 Posted by shao on 01 Mar 2006 - 09:01
the way eolas have singled out microsoft, and not other culprits is more stupid.
Quote this comment #2.2 Posted by MrCobra on 01 Mar 2006 - 09:55
Because Microsoft is a cash cow. The others aren't.
(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #3 Posted by madkingsoup on 01 Mar 2006 - 12:47
So presumably, if I don't install this update, and mark it as ignored in WU, I can continue as before and nothing will be affected?
Quote this comment #3.1 Posted by mrbester on 01 Mar 2006 - 13:14
Yup. You as an end-user don't have to be affected at all, it's the developers that have the annoyance of checking their (possibly years old) code
(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #4 Posted by naap51stang on 01 Mar 2006 - 13:01
IE? What's IE? I thought everyone was running FF already?


Quote this comment #4.1 Posted by HawkMan on 01 Mar 2006 - 20:44
No, there are peopel in the world who don't blindly follow the FF following like Sheep and who's also capable of not blidnly accepting all the ActiveX controls.


besides I use Opera :p
(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #5 Posted by Havin_it on 01 Mar 2006 - 13:30
2 questions:

1) Is the Netscape plugin API (as used in Moz/FF and I *think* in Konq too optionally) affected or immune? Facts please, no more speculation as above.

2) Is Java affected? (If not, time for a Java-based Flash player anyone?)
Quote this comment #5.1 Posted by neufuse on 01 Mar 2006 - 15:31
java in IE is a plugin in the same way.... so its affected and other browsers infringe on this patent also
(3 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #6 Posted by Glassed Silver on 01 Mar 2006 - 14:08
omg...
considering almost all todays websites have flash elements... seriously, who is that dumb and picks that patch? lol
remembers me of the ONLY patch available for gta san andreas....
as if it wasnt enough that millions of users report graphic problems with it, no then they release a patch - still the only one - which JUST disables the hot coffee mod...
why should i wat to remove that? LOL....
i guess the download count of that patch is equal 0 (out of all those parents who let their kids only play it with this patch lol)

-fm
Quote this comment #6.1 Posted by tmaxxtigger on 01 Mar 2006 - 15:32
If you read the article on MSDN, this patch will be included in all future version of IE, read IE7, and in future security rollups, so sooner or later it's going to be installed on your PC...
Quote this comment #6.2 Posted by plastikaa on 01 Mar 2006 - 15:36
most sites actually DONT use flash, a lot of game sites, but most really popular sites infact dont, well sometimes in adverts but who cares if they dont show?
Quote this comment #6.3 Posted by mrbester on 01 Mar 2006 - 17:29
It's not just Flash, it's ANY plugin; Java, Windows Media, RealPlayer, QuickTime, etc.
The content will show, up to a point. It all depends on whether there is any interactivity required:
A Flash object has background music. You click on the "mute" control to turn it off and then realise that all you did was allow yourself access to the object, so you have to click it again. When that happens enough, you get annoyed, and guess who'll get the blame? The site in question, even though it worked perfectly well before this crappy patch.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #7 Posted by neufuse on 01 Mar 2006 - 15:30
they need a change to the patent law... if there are two or more high profile products using the same idea like how IE, Firefox, safari, etc all are, they should be REQUIRED to go after all them or prove the others do not use it before you can sue any specific one for damages... it should be all or none.. or the patent is voided in court because it would then be viewed as a money grubbing attempt not a true patent case
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #8 Posted by dsmythe on 01 Mar 2006 - 18:12
Wow, so some dumb hippies just killed off IE, cool... Now we're stuck w/ FF or Opera.
I'll take "things that are retarted" for $200.00 Alex.

Quote this comment Reply to this comment #9 Posted by andrewhaji on 01 Mar 2006 - 23:23
This will cause a LOT of headaches for web designers across the world. This patch is forcing us to call an external JavaScript file in order to embed ActiveX controls in our webpages that are already activated. What a waste of everyone's time.

Thirty seconds ago I checked the box in Firefox that says "make this browser the default". Bye bye, IE.
(2 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #10 Posted by foxconn287 on 02 Mar 2006 - 00:05
If you think Eolas is going after Firefox, Opera, etc. you are naive. They have no cash and they will not be sued.

This will probably affect Internet Explorer only. Demand for alternative browsers will increase cause it will not be required for them to apply.

Costs will go up too if you think about it ... I think Eolas set up IE's death.

**** now the FF tards will go out in full force
Quote this comment #10.1 Posted by P1R4T3 on 02 Mar 2006 - 06:31
Yep, me too Im fearing that the FF worshippers will start their prayers in every forum.
If only I could blacklist this word from my browser for a while.
Quote this comment #10.2 Posted by mrbester on 02 Mar 2006 - 11:09
Not only that, FF is open source, so you'd basically have to try to enforce a US-only patent on foreign programmers. Who will cheerfully respond with "up yours".
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #11 Posted by Sandy on 03 Mar 2006 - 07:01
OMG and theres me thinking that I screwed up my IE, could have at least told me in the update this might have happened, the extra 1 click thing, what a dumbass update without letting everyone know to update their pages first

*begins downloading FF*
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