Internet Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sues Apple, Google, Facebook, AOL, eBay, Netflix

[wewt!]

[release]
[B]Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sues Apple, Google, Facebook, AOL, eBay, Netflix, Yahoo!, Staples, OfficeMax, Office Depot, and YouTube over patents[/B]

[IMG]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/08/paulallennarrowweb300x4570.jpg[/IMG]
[URL="http://www.engadget.com/tag/Microsoft/"]Microsoft[/URL]'s co-founder [URL="http://www.engadget.com/tag/PaulAllen/"]Paul Allen[/URL] has filed suit against nine companies over patent violations. Through his current firm, Interval Licensing LLC, Allen is suing Apple, Google, AOL, Facebook, ebay, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo, and YouTube (which is a subsidiary of Google). The claims involve four separate patents, most of which cover integral parts of how the companies named do business. For example, one patent allows site suggestions for consumers based on things they're currently viewing, while another allows related articles to be delivered while reading news. All in all, it sounds like Allen's patents -- if they're indeed found to cover these technologies -- are seriously vast. The suit, which was filed today, does not name any specific amount of damages he is seeking. Allen, who is one of the richest people in the world with an estimated worth of over $13 billion, recently pledged to donate over half of his wealth to philanthropic causes after Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates called on the world's billionaires to do so[/release]
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[URL="http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/27/microsoft-co-founder-paul-allen-sues-apple-google-facebook-ao/"]Source[/URL]

[Lewor]

This'll never happen.

[Paravin]

good luck

[Skyhawk]

Those seem to be incredibly broad patents, he shouldn't have them in the first place.

[Hellduck]

[QUOTE=Skyhawk;24413978]Those seem to be incredibly broad patents, he shouldn't have them in the first place.[/QUOTE]

[Fycix]

You shouldn't be able to patent ideas as broad as that for christ's sake!

[Pepin]

You can't patent stuff like that?

[redonkulous]

Microsoft has some top notch lawyers. Google has some top notch lawyers. This will be one hell of a court battle.

[Marlamin]

brb patenting a online community where people can make "threads" on subjects, which contain "posts" by other users

garry give me all your money

[Deleted307904]

these two threads should be combined.

[Squad]

I think he is doing it to prove a point.

Because Apple gets their panties in a bunch every time someone tries to do something.

Apple has shit patented so vaguely that they own the rights to touch screens, the letter "i", sneezing, wearing pants etc etc.

** I have to add this in here because idiots will say "Show me proof apple has the said things above patented." It was an exaggeration, you get my point.