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Microsoft Pays $440M to License InterTrust Patents
CNET, News.com ^ | 4/12/2004 | news.com

Posted on 04/13/2004 6:43:40 AM PDT by N3WBI3

update Microsoft ended another long-standing legal dispute on Monday, announcing a $440 million settlement and licensing deal with InterTrust Technologies, which markets digital rights management tools.

The settlement marks the end of the nearly 3-year-old patent infringement suit. InterTrust's suit contended that virtually all of Microsoft's products--from the company's flagship Windows operating system to its multimedia software--trespassed on InterTrust's content protection holdings.

The deal opens the door for Microsoft to expand the array of antipiracy tools it provides with its digital media software, including Windows Media Player.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Miscellaneous; Technical
KEYWORDS: antitrust; intertrust; lowqualitycrap; microsoft; theft
I just get the idea that for a company always accusing Open Source users of not wanting to pay for anything Microsoft sure will go to the wall to use other peoples ideas for free..
1 posted on 04/13/2004 6:43:42 AM PDT by N3WBI3
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To: N3WBI3
Microsoft's history contains many examples of this. "Borrow" technology. Get sued. Tie it up in court until the opponent either goes away or becomes willing to settle for less than the original deal would have got them.

Many times Microsoft required that these settlement deals not be disclosed. I wonder what happened here?

InterTrust had been seeking more than $1 billion, [David] Kaefer [Microsoft's director of technology policy] said. "Both sides were able to find some common ground," he added.
($1B - $440M) / $1B = .56

Fifty six percent discount. Not bad. The Microsoft strategy continues to work.

2 posted on 04/13/2004 8:00:46 AM PDT by TechJunkYard
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To: TechJunkYard
bump
3 posted on 04/13/2004 8:03:43 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
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To: TechJunkYard
>"Borrow" technology. Get sued. Tie it up in court until the opponent either goes away or becomes willing to settle for less than the original deal would have got them. ... The Microsoft strategy [?!] continues to work.

Get real. Microsoft
invented this like Britney
invented big breasts . . .

4 posted on 04/13/2004 8:05:43 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: theFIRMbss
Microsoft invented this like Britney invented big breasts . . .

I chose not to capitalize the word "strategy" for a reason.

You're drawing an inference that does not exist.

5 posted on 04/13/2004 1:09:25 PM PDT by TechJunkYard
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