Microsoft Patents the Crippling of Operating Systems 394
theodp writes "On Tuesday, Microsoft was granted US Patent No. 7,536,726 (it was filed in 2005) for intentionally crippling the functionality of an operating system by 'making selected portions and functionality of the operating system unavailable to the user or by limiting the user's ability to add software applications or device drivers to the computer' until an 'agreed upon sum of money' is paid to 'unlock or otherwise make available the restricted functionality.' According to Microsoft, this solves a 'problem inherent in open architecture systems,' i.e., 'they are generally licensed with complete use rights and/or functionality that may be beyond the need or desire of the system purchaser.' An additional problem with open architecture systems, Microsoft explains, is that 'virtually anyone can write an application that can be executed on the system.' Nice to see the USPTO rewarding Microsoft's eight problem-solving inventors, including Linux killer (and antelope killer) Joachim Kempin, who's been credited with getting Microsoft hauled into federal court on antitrust charges." Sounds like the mechanism by which Microsoft sells one version of Vista to all users, and lets users upgrade to higher-tier flavors of the OS after cash changes hands.
Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, wait.
Now it can claim (Score:2, Funny)
Why not patenting bugs? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Funny)
Hah! Too funny. (Score:5, Funny)
An additional problem with open architecture systems, Microsoft explains, is that 'virtually anyone can write an application that can be executed on the system.'
Well sure, let's fix that then. I have an experiment I'd like to try if this is the case.
Let's order up some Windows 7 and not pay. MS will remove my ability to install new programs on it, right?
Ta da! I'm now immune to viruses and worms. And all it took was not paying MS. So glad that one is finally solved completely. No new software can ever be run on my machine. I'm safe now.
Thanks guys.
MS Crippled OS Patent (Score:4, Funny)
Don't they mean trademark? ;)
Re:Huh? (Score:3, Funny)
Invalidated by definition (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Phone calls can be traced. When I encrypt other peoples data, I prefer to be compensated with eGold.
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
I suppose they're doing us a service with this patent. Now no one else can deliberately cripple their operating system.
Why bother? Any artificial crippling will be removed by those meddling pirates anyway, from any OS. Remember the WGA check in XP? I've never seen it.
That's the ticket (Score:3, Funny)
intentionally crippling the functionality of an operating system
We meant to do that! Yeah, that's it!
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
but vista had been under development for 8.
hehe, it's STILL under developed...
Re:Apples and apples (Score:3, Funny)
Shareware. Nagware.
I read that as "Shagware."
Re:Now it can claim (Score:3, Funny)
No. He meant crippling the software using the software not crippling the hardware by installing the software. Close though.
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
Hampsters and wire brushes don't count.
Re:Huh? (Score:2, Funny)
And in France, the response would probably require Microsoft employees to randomize their routes to work, travel in unmarked cars and always have an escort.
Re:Who cares? (Score:3, Funny)
How about a linux distro where you get vanilla distro for free, but the distributor charges extra to unlock chocolate sauce and cherries?
That's why I run Gentoo [gentoo.org]. I simply enable the "chocolate" and "cherry" USE flags, disable the "neopolitan" USE flag, and recompile world, and then I have unlimited chocolate and cherry sauce, until I find out that gnome doesn't work so well with "chocolate" enabled, and kde's "cherry" functionality conflicts with the "cherry" functionality in cups. Then I have to tweak the USE flags on a case-by-case basis, recompiling until I get everything with sufficient sauce while still working.
Of course, being Linux, you need to enable CONFIG_SAUCE in the kernel.
Re:Huh? (Score:3, Funny)
But to be fair to MS
What the- Get out of my Slashdot! ;P
Re:Huh? (Score:5, Funny)
AIDS Information-virus from 1989 is REAL prior art (Score:3, Funny)
ref [pitch.com]