What is Digg?43 Comments
- BigMiller, on 02/03/2009, -2/+42This is an excerpt from the ex microsoft employee, Miki Mullor:
These are shameful, dishonest attacks on my character by Microsoft – the company that stole my idea in the first place. Their attacks are untrue, and they hurt me and my family. Microsoft basically admits stealing my idea in the complaint they filed because they are asking for a license to my patent. Microsoft would only need a license to my patent if they were infringing it in the first place. My patent case in Los Angeles has been going on for several months now with substantial progress. Clearly, Microsoft and the PC OEMs realized that they have no defense on the merits of the patent case.
from: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archi ...
Good luck to him taking on Microsoft, Dell, HP and Toshiba simultaneously. This man clearly has king kong size balls. - PeanutCheeseBar, on 02/03/2009, -8/+38Omitted from the article: "A representative from Microsoft confirmed that this act was done intentionally, as before downloading the documentation from the computer, Windows asked the employee at least three times if he really wanted to download the documents."
- thinman1189, on 02/03/2009, -7/+25Well I hate Microsoft, but software patents are *****....***** dude, I don't know what to say.
- dotRoot, on 02/03/2009, -1/+12Software patents are bogus to begin with. And with the genius US Patent Office approving patents, like ordered lists, and touch screens 20 years after they've been marketed you'd think someone would take notice and try to fix the situation.
You can read the comment about how I feel about the situation the first time this was posted. - Rudegar, on 02/03/2009, -2/+12software patents are just a fast loophole so the big boys can sue company's who refuse to sell out
until the run out of money even if no parent violation was ever committed - czeman, on 02/03/2009, -1/+10MS stealing his technology (if that's what they did) is not the point. Did he LEGALLY obtain the documents? It doesn't appear that he did. He may have had access to them, but it doesn't automatically give him the right to take those documents. There ARE confidentiality agreements in place. His knowledge of their existence probably would have been enough to have a lawyer subpoena the documents. He could have done a much better job at going after MS, but he decided to be underhanded himself. It's not going to make him look good in court, and that alone is going to play against him. I do, however, hope he wins big if his accusations are accurate.
- qpid, on 02/03/2009, -2/+9That's some diabolical espionage if true.
- FredFredrickson, on 02/03/2009, -1/+7Now that he's out of work, he had nothing better to do.
- SOS84, on 02/03/2009, -1/+7If microsoft can prove he stole documents, this fools case is going to be thrown out of court quicker than you can imagine.
- wissler, on 02/03/2009, -1/+6Yet another patent troll. It'd be interesting to know how much consumers end up paying for these trolls.
- inactive, on 02/03/2009, -0/+5As seen by the famous XOR Mouse Over Patent, software patents are pointless. Copywrite is fine, but the patents are just for squatters.
- insomniac8400, on 02/03/2009, -2/+5You have to hand it to Ancora. Just guess about where windows is headed and file a patent before they do. Then just like any patent, after someone makes a similar function that was never based on the patent, sue.
- nazsco, on 02/03/2009, -0/+3you can hate both.
you can hate software patents.
you can hate microsoft for firing someone without cause (he didn't lie in the application, and wrote down that he has a lawsuit agains the company). oh and also for lying to court.
if companies can search the garbage of others, he is entitled to look around too. - inactive, on 02/03/2009, -2/+5Like MS.
- Ceryn1126, on 02/04/2009, -0/+2So did this guy sign some sort of NDA that would prohibit him talking about the patent violation? Couldn't Ancora just call him as a witness for how the infringing SLP is implimented with or without the documents. Especially since he admitted having worked for Ancora and holding Ancora patents before he was hired. I'm no lawyer but I'm pretty sure that you can blow the whistle on a company that you work for if you have seen that they are violating a law (be that a patent or otherwise)...
All that aside microsoft should prolly sue him for corporate espionage or whatever. He obviously only wanted to see the inner workings of Win7 to verify that it infringed before filing suit. - radmarshallb, on 02/03/2009, -0/+2Whoosh.
- javaroast, on 02/03/2009, -0/+2Sorry Fred, I read your comment and I read the article. It's to early to say whether or not the guy created anything, but he did apply for the patent prior to accepting work at Microsoft, so he may have created something.
Neither of us have enough facts to make a judgment about the patent, and it doesn't even look like MS is challenging the validity of his patent. What they are challenging is the method he took to put together his case against the OEM's.
Your prior comment combined with the this patent is ***** exposes your bias in this case. Nothing wrong with having a bias, but it's best not to deny it. - SmokenJoe, on 02/03/2009, -5/+7He filed for the patent in 1998. Sorry but this is before Mirosoft had this . I hate patent tools but if the big boys can threaten the small guys then it needs to be a two way street. It is not like it was filed in Texas. Texas lawyers have to be the scum of the scum to let this kind of highway robbery continue in their system..
- rugabug, on 02/03/2009, -0/+1Evidence in court can only be used if obtained legally.
- Elranzer, on 02/03/2009, -1/+2There's probably a reason why he's an EX-employee of Microsoft...
- JohnnySoftware, on 09/23/2009, -0/+1He filed the patent in 1998. The documents may be immaterial unless he has Dr. Who as his secret identity.
- chargernj, on 02/03/2009, -0/+1my guess is that he doesn't respect MS patents either
- insomniac8400, on 02/04/2009, -0/+1But there is much more money to be had when it's a useless small company going after big companies. Big companies going after small ones nets very little.
- inactive, on 02/04/2009, -0/+1Isn't that what M$ and Apple do?
- Nextrix, on 02/04/2009, -0/+1I guess you haven't noticed the recent digg blog posting... common do we have any critical thinkers in here?
- chargernj, on 02/03/2009, -1/+1Yes but did it ask in a manner that conveyed that the data was sensitive and proprietary. Or did it merely ask for confirmation on where to download the file like windows often does with all kinds of files?
The context of the confirmation is important. - chargernj, on 02/03/2009, -0/+0So if you steal something of value from me, in this case IP... Then I steal something from you that really has no other value except in that it proves that you stole from me. I'm in the wrong? What is the line here that should not be crossed? I mean if he found out about this but then hired a private investigator to gather evidence he would be in the clear, right? Seems to me that he was in fact acting as his own PI.
- FredFredrickson, on 02/03/2009, -1/+1@javaroast - the difference here is that this guy didn't create anything. He is one of the bad apples I mentioned in that comment. Try reading the whole thing before acting like a smart ass next time, and save yourself the embarrassment of being completely and utterly wrong.
- mpoulin, on 02/04/2009, -0/+0In other news, the EU fines Microsoft for remaining profitable during an economic crisis
- stasis88, on 02/03/2009, -1/+0yeah read the article and you would know...
- anshuman, on 02/03/2009, -1/+1The Lawyer who runs to office and reaches first wins?
- javaroast, on 02/03/2009, -4/+2Fred's earlier comment. I'd say that exposes you for talking out of both sides of your mouth. Set down the Microsoft pipe for just a bit and try some critical thinking skills.
"Yes, we get it, you think patents are bad, blah, blah, blah.
I just hope that someday you find the ability to create something that you think is worth selling..." - FredFredrickson, on 02/03/2009, -5/+4Good luck to him? The patent is *****. Why should anyone wish him good will in this?
- ModernDayDarwin, on 02/03/2009, -5/+2I'm gonna wager that was sarcasm.
- gardnmi, on 02/03/2009, -3/+1Those "One Eyed Monsters" have no luck.
- tomharrow, on 02/03/2009, -6/+1intelligent reply
- wissler, on 02/03/2009, -10/+6He's just another parasite trying to collect his toll from legitimate businesses.
- RumpleForeskin3, on 02/03/2009, -5/+0/s
- DirtyVicar, on 02/03/2009, -10/+4Microsoft, would you drop these crazy DRM schemes and just concentrate on making software? If you want to make it hard, bloat out the installer so it comes on 5 or 6 DVDs. Few people want to download a 15 GB torrent that might or might not work, and if they do, they're probably going to pirate it one way or another anyway.
- FredFredrickson, on 02/03/2009, -13/+5Yes, we get it, you think patents are bad, blah, blah, blah.
I just hope that someday you find the ability to create something that you think is worth selling... maybe then you'll understand that the underlying of copyrights and patents isn't inherently bad; just that a few bad apples (patent squatters) make it seem that way sometimes. - Maddoktor2, on 02/03/2009, -23/+14dupe + 88 Diggs + 2 comments + front page = f'ed up algorithm.
- RumpleForeskin3, on 02/03/2009, -21/+11They never had this problem over at Ubuntu
- specialK16, on 02/03/2009, -13/+1UBANTO you mean?
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