• Windows 7 and Xbox 360 banned from sale in Germany after Motorola lawsuit
    43 replies, posted
[quote=BBC][B]Motorola Mobility has been granted an injunction against the distribution of key Microsoft products in Germany.[/B] [B]The sales ban covers the Xbox 360 games console, Windows 7 system software, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player.[/B] It follows a ruling that Microsoft had infringed two patents necessary to offer H.264 video coding and playback. A US court has banned Motorola from enforcing the action until it considers the matter next week. The handset maker is in the process of being taken over by Google. This is just one of several cases involving about 50 intellectual properties that the smartphone maker has claimed that Microsoft should have licensed. Microsoft has said that if it met all of Motorola's demands it would face an annual bill of $4bn (£2.5bn). Motorola disputes the figure. [B]A statement from Motorola said: "We are pleased that the Mannheim Court found that Microsoft products infringe Motorola Mobility's intellectual property. As a path forward, we remain open to resolving this matter. Fair compensation is all that we have been seeking for our intellectual property."[/B] Microsoft said it planned to appeal the German ruling. "This is one step in a long process, and we are confident that Motorola will eventually be held to its promise to make its standard essential patents available on fair and reasonable terms for the benefit of consumers who enjoy video on the web," a spokesman said. "Motorola is prohibited from acting on today's decision, and our business in Germany will continue as usual while we appeal this decision and pursue the fundamental issue of Motorola's broken promise." Microsoft moved its European software distribution centre from Germany to the Netherlands last month ahead of the verdict to minimise potential disruption. However, Motorola cannot enforce the [US] ruling until a Seattle-based judge lifts a restraining order. The restriction was put in place after Microsoft claimed that Motorola was abusing its Frand-commitments - a promise to licence innovations deemed critical to widely-used technologies under "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" terms. A hearing is scheduled for 7 May, although the judge may issue his ruling at a later date. The German case is also likely to be considered by the European Commission. It is carrying out two probes into whether Motorola's Frand-type patent activities amount to "an abuse of a dominant market position".[/quote] [url=http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17924190]Source[/url]
Sounds like everybody in this case is perfectly reasonable, sane and rational.
whaaaaat [editline]2nd May 2012[/editline] what the hell
this whole deal with patents is getting out of hand
Of course you want compensation! Everyone does!
Wait, they're banning something that's free in the form of IE and WMP?
That is insane.
These patent wars are getting insane.
Looks like a perfect opportunity to hand out Linux DVD's. And no, Mac is not an option, it's never an option.
I would say people should try out those [i]linux distros[/i]
What, how am I just hearing of this in the foreign press? Doesn't affect me though, because I wasn't going to buy an Xbox anyway and I already have W7...
That is crazy
Also I'm pretty sure it won't come to a (long-term) ban since some higher court will likely overturn this, or Microsoft will end up paying Motorola.
Someone didnt get their krautsalad this morning
So all laptops and computers for sale in Germany comes with Vista now?
[QUOTE=adam1172;35794350]So all laptops and computers for sale in Germany comes with Vista now?[/QUOTE] Windows 98 of course MS-DOS if you're man enough
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;35794453]Windows 98 of course MS-DOS if you're man enough[/QUOTE] I have no problems with this, MS-DOS is a pleasure to use.
Why not just... You know... Get it elsewhere? :v:
Wow. This is just....ungodly dumb.
Someone should rly come up with a gaming friendly Linux distributions. Start off with OpenGL friendly games, something like that idk..
"Hey guys, hey, hey" "Listen, I-hey, got a greaaaat idea *hic*" "we should -hey listen for a sec - sue microsoft for that motorola thingie from years ago, and TOTALLY ban all their shit over here - hey, please stay, tisha great idea adn it'l work for shure!" *protest against retarded idea* "man you talk shit, like the judges caaare that 70% of germany uses those exact productsh *hic*, you'll shee, imma go to court tomorrow and like ASHK, nah, DEMAND it myself *barfs*" Then you now have what we have now.
[QUOTE=C47;35794617]Someone should rly come up with a gaming friendly Linux distributions. Start off with OpenGL friendly games, something like that idk..[/QUOTE] WINE exists but it is shitty. To be honest I think the only thing that needs to be fixed is for gaming and general windows programs is WINE. If more professional programmers put their time into it I can easily see Linux as a excellant operating system for both servers and gaming in the near future.
This isn't exactly dumb, per se. The H.264 codec has always been known as a proprietor codec. Distributing it without a license is illegal. If Micro-Soft went with Ogg Theora (the video one) instead, things maybe would be a little more peachy keen. That is, if licensing is the issue.
[QUOTE=C47;35794617]Someone should rly come up with a gaming friendly Linux distributions. Start off with OpenGL friendly games, something like that idk..[/QUOTE] The issue is devs don't give the slightest fuck about Linux on the desktop and allot of consumers have never even heard of it.
this will probably not make more game developers develop for openGL but i can always hope
[QUOTE=adam1172;35794350]So all laptops and computers for sale in Germany comes with Vista now?[/QUOTE] Buying a laptop that has Windows 7 pre-installed and buying Windows 7 are two very different things. This bans the sale of Windows 7, you can still buy a computer or laptop that has Windows 7 on it.
Yeah this is going to turn out well. Ban one of the most popular operating systems from being sold. An operating system that is already preinstalled on most computers being sold in retail outlets. Computers that have already been purchased by the retail outlets along with actual disk copies of Windows 7. Making online purchases from stores outside of Germany much more favorable.
Nothing will happen, they will keep selling Windows 7 and the Xbox 360.
Why does it seem like Germany has the stupidest patent laws ever?
[QUOTE=Firewarrior;35795623]Nothing will happen, they will keep selling Windows 7 and the Xbox 360.[/QUOTE] This is true, because some other court in the US said something different. Though i find it understandable.
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