Microsoft, Apple Sued Over Software Update Patent

mark_wilkins writes "Microsoft and Apple have been sued by Teleshuttle Technologies, LLC, alleging that their online software updating technology infringes a patent on providing online updates to software with a menuing system to permit the user to pick the updates. Apparently the work on which the patent is based supposedly goes back to 1990."

Menuing system

[pjrc]

with a menuing system

At least we don't have to worry about "apt-get update" :-)

US Patent Office!

[cartzworth]

Where would you like to stifle innovation today?

I think this applies here...

[scoot241]

"*Sneeze* Oh, I'm sorry... I'm allergic to bullshit." --Will Smith, "I, Robot"

Re:Gimme a billion dollars, I'm a genius, I swear.

[einer]

"It has wheels, and it moves forward and backward and can be steered by a person or by some other type of steering control, give me a billion dollars right now, I'm a genius."

Are you mad? You've just revealed Step 2!

Re:WWIII

[mrtroy]

I believe World War III will be triggered by fuqing patents.
If I recall correctly, WWI and WWII were both caused by patents. Sorry, theres prior art to your statement.

HOWEVER, just throw "online" in there. WWIII will be triggered by ONLINE patents --- new idea!

I wish I could patent complaining about patents

[Neil Blender]

I'd get an injunction against each and every one of you.

Re:Soooo

[lofoforabr]

> What the hell are we supposed to do when this company seeks an injunction against Microsoft's Windows Update?
> lots of people will be royally f*cked...

Aren't they already royally f*cked for using Windows?

Windows can't exsist without Updates

[drxs3v3n]

This is overwelmingly wounderous
news

time for everyone to switch to linux now

Re:Soooo

[Anonymous Coward]

it should be fine.
after all MS said that exploit viruses don't happen until after the patch, so we should be safe.
no new patches, therefore no new visuses.

[/crack smoking]

Re:Plural

[julesh]

A method by which a plurality of alleged inventors may submit a plurality of patent applications to a plurality of patent offices using a computer network, connection to which may be facilitated by a plurality of independent service providers over a variety of communication methods, including but not limited to telephone lines, cable television connections, satellite uplinks, digital subscriber line technologies and paper cups tied together with a piece of string.

(I call this method 'e-mailing a patent attorney')

Ironic

[jwegy]

its ironic that http://www.btgplc.com/ is running on IIS. Server: Microsoft-IIS/5.0 Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:37:57 GMT it would be bad if they couldnt do windows updates ;)

Re:Menuing system

[YU Nicks NE Way]

Linspore? Priceless. Now we have the triumvirate of commercial distros properly named: Dead Rat, Sues, and Linspore.

Re:Menuing system

[T3kno]

Professionals

Is there an ASCII representation of a coffee spew all over ones keyboard and monitors?

I've been in IT for 15 years and if there is one thing for certain, it is that there are no professionals. The only "Professionals" are MCSE's who got suckered by M$ hype. Everyone else is just a geek, although the ego's of some CCIE's and CCNA's I know could use some taming, but they're just plain crazy.

Looks like this might be the first salvo...

[gsfprez]

of Global Patenuclear War.

i wish for the good old days... now, it looks like i'll have to become a lawyer if i want to make it anywhere in this world.

Prior Art

[Mycroft_514]

I described such a system in a short class I was doing on a whiteboard in 1982. Prior enough to the patent for you?

Re:Menuing system

[A_Non_Moose]

maybe even Gentoo's porthole.

Gah, I had this image of Beavis/Butthead in a thinkgeek type shirt screaming: "I am PORTHOLIO".

Uh-huh-huh...huhuhuh.

Re:Menuing system

[FxChiP]

Yeah, I can see it...

"I am PORTHOLIO! I need GZ for my tarball!" (damn the lameness filter from hell for not letting me use caps...)

Re:Gimme a billion dollars, I'm a genius, I swear.

[OwnedByTwoCats]

Oh, and don't forget that you can't patent a mathematical algorithm.

How do you tell if software is patentable, or an implementation of an unpatentable algorithm? You put all your money in a pile. Someone who wants the decision to go the other way puts all their money in a pile. The taller pile wins, and then the lawyers take both piles for themselves.

Re:Soooo

[MP3Chuck]

Well, when everyone realizes that their Windows box is at a significant risk without updates, they'll switch to Linux, right?

RIGHT?? ...

Re:Menuing system

[ak_hepcat]

Webpage? man, i'm just happy that it doesn't include an ascii menu of sofware to download from a BBS, that I haven't installed yet. Like driver updates, or maybe even a new compression engine. Or this PPP thingy and what's this here? NCSA mosiac?

Phew.

Re:Menuing system

[Net_Wakker]

Is there an ASCII representation of a coffee spew all over ones keyboard and monitors?

C|N>K