Company sues Microsoft over Windows 8 interface

OK, was waiting for this.... you just knew somebody was going to try and get a free ride.

Their website looks like it was thrown together last night..... http://www.surfcast.com/news.php

And they have no viable actual product despite what they claim are their patents.
 
The Win 8 look and feels has been known for quite some time.
Why wait for the Win 8 launch to sue?

Patent Troll!
 
LOL, I see the directors and founders are from IBM.... :whistle:
 
Maybe MS can counter sue them. In the patent doc, no credit is given to MS for words like XP, Outlook, Excel or SQL Server 2000.

I'm no lawyer, but reading the patent, seems like MS is doing what Surfcast patented.
 
They're just getting back what they've been dishing out for so long. Karma beeutch. That said, these interface patents are getting out of hand. countries need to start rethinking a few laws.
 
AlmightyBender said:
Bound to happen. This is why we can't all have nice things :(
Click to expand...

Yep. Somewhere, somehow, something has to be done to put an end to this. Who the hell can be creative while knowing you will most likely get sued for it anyway?
 
Garyvdh said:
OK, was waiting for this.... you just knew somebody was going to try and get a free ride.

Their website looks like it was thrown together last night..... http://www.surfcast.com/news.php

And they have no viable actual product despite what they claim are their patents.
Click to expand...

Well a patent is a patent as Apple tried so very hard to prove. I say SurfCast has a case, just as Apple thought they had a case.
 
Patent Troll - it doesn't look like a reputable company with a competing product. Also, like someone else mentioned, why wait until not to file a lawsuit?
 
I see WOT (Firefox Add-on), warned me when I tried to go onto their site. Closer inspection and I see that the people complaining and giving it a bad WOT count is saying there, that its because of "Patent Trolling". LOL
 
evilstebunny said:
Well a patent is a patent as Apple tried so very hard to prove. I say SurfCast has a case, just as Apple thought they had a case.
Click to expand...

Apple didnt try.
They succeeded.
But then again so have Google/Motorola, Samsung, Microsoft etc etc.

At the end of the day its pointless get irritated with the players.
The rules of the game have to change.

How does one change them though given
- One has to change the US law
- The lawyers have lobbies that will lobby to stop lawmakers changing the law
- I am not convinced the big guys want the laws changed that much. There are plenty of comfortable cross licensing deals that keep certain relationships in line. Apple pay Microsoft pay Apple lots of money and they dont sue eachother.

Big boys can use the laws and their patent libraries to their advantage
Its the little startups that get hurt.
They dont have the muscle.
 
My 2c, windows & mobile which has been out for a year almost has been using the interface. Why not sue then already so MS knew that someone held a patent, better yet it was common knowledge for more than a year 8 was using a metro style system consisting of tiles. And still no one sues them... Now all of a sudden this company pops up... I say Microsoft drags this patent thing out in court and bankrupt this company its what I would do I doubt they have any money anyway as the website looks like ****. It seems it was just updated to at the law suit to the news bar.
 
I actually believe this company has a good case. They obviously waited to see where MS is going with this and could only really act (litigate) when MS formally launched Windows 8 with the Modern UI ... so I wouldn't dismiss this a just another patent troll. The timing for litigation is right as it can only be done when the perpetrator has formally shown intent with a formal launch and distribution. The description of the patent from way back in 2000 already is very very close to how MS describes Modern UI in 2012. This patent has more meat on its bones than some of the recent ones we've seen in courts.
 
BeVonk! said:
I actually believe this company has a good case. They obviously waited to see where MS is going with this and could only really act (litigate) when MS formally launched Windows 8 with the Modern UI ... so I wouldn't dismiss this a just another patent troll. The timing for litigation is right as it can only be done when the perpetrator has formally shown intent with a formal launch and distribution. The description of the patent from way back in 2000 already is very very close to how MS describes Modern UI in 2012. This patent has more meat on its bones than some of the recent ones we've seen in courts.
Click to expand...

I differ slightly.

I think they are patent trolls but it isnt illegal to be a patent troll.
They own the patent and they have legal rights that they can try and enforce in court.

Arguing about players conduct when the conduct conforms to the rules of the game gains little.
If we are going to get substantive change the law makers have to push for patent reform.
However the legal lobby will argue against it.

And I reckon the big boy tech companies (M/S, Apple, Google, HP etc etc.) dont want to risk the change because they are fearful what the change will bring.
They may change it and get lots of unintended consequences that hurt their own businesses.
They know how the current game works.
Better the devil you know?

So who is going to push for the change? The US people are more concerned about health care, abortion, Social Welfare, economy etc.
If the anti change lobby just say "Overseas companies (meaning China etc.) will steal our secrets" - the change will die.

I am not optimistic that there will be any change in patent law in the next 10 years
 
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