Microsoft's Little Liability Problem

[amigamad]

"Microsoft has a little liability problem called Windows. Many are no doubt aware of a would-be class-action lawsuit launched last week in California. The suit targets Microsoft over security problems. The plaintiff is a woman who had her identity stolen."

Read more at  osnews.com ...

[Panthro]

[color=FF0000][font=Impact!!]HELL YEAH!![/font][/color] :destroy:

I have wanted this for soooo long that I would buy it as my first ever A1 game noooOOOOOooooo problemo!!!
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Now to harass EA & Dice for BF1942 :-D  ;-) LOL  :-D

[odin]

Er....wrong thread? :-)

[bhoggett]

Yawn.

If you wanted real and significant news that may actually affect all of us, why not post this article about Microsoft's loss in a patent case that affects all browser plug-in architectures.

I'm surprised I haven't seen it here, to be honest.

[System]

> I'm surprised I haven't seen it here, to be honest.

Speaking strictly from experience, let me be the first to remind everyone that the admins of this site can't be everywhere all the time.  

If you see something you think should be here, please take a minute to post it.  Otherwise, you can't be "surprised" that it's not here  :-)

Wayne

[bhoggett]

@Wayne

I wasn't suggesting the admin staff had failed in any way. I am surprised that no one else has posted this however.

I would have done so myself, but I only became aware of the story a couple of days ago, and decided it was "too old" to warrant a "news" item.

No criticism of anyone was intended.

[mikeymike]

@ bhoggett

Yup, ActiveX would be an appreciated loss to Windows.  I just get the feeling MS are going to wriggle out of it though, particularly as they have stopped developing new standalone versions of IE, as they feel they have permanently won the browser wars.  It's not very profitable developing a free product that has loads of security holes, when there's no chance of any direct revenue.

[amigamad]

f you wanted real and significant news that may actually affect all of us, why not post this article about Microsoft's loss in a patent case that affects all browser plug-in architectures.

To be honest i have not seen it anywere . :-)

[minator]

you wanted real and significant news that may actually affect all of us, why not post this article about Microsoft's loss in a patent case that affects all browser plug-in architectures.

No, the liability case has much larger implications than any patent spat.

Computer companies can produce software and hardware without warranty, no other industry can do this.  However there are strong consumer protection laws and if they can be brought to book over these it changes the entire software industry.

Microsoft has always operated by selling more and more features and shipping products early clearly without sufficient testing.  That would change overnight.

Good quality, well tested software would become a legal rquirement, it'll turn this industry on it's head, forever.

[mikeymike]

No, the liability case has much larger implications than any patent spat.

Except of course that Microsoft lost that "patent spat", which demands that IE be re-written without ActiveX.

MS won't lose the liability case.

[minator]

Except of course that Microsoft lost that "patent spat", which demands that IE be re-written without ActiveX.

Re-write meaning they change two lines to break it or (more likely) they find some sneaky way around the patent.

MS won't lose the liability case.

Why do you think this?

If MS sell consumer products they should fall under consumer protection laws in which case the EULA will be overrulled and well, ouch!

MS could end up having to rewrite (meaning really rewrite) everything.

[Argo]

Microsoft will appeal the plugin case or buy the company and gift a large grant to the University of Chicago.

[bhoggett]

@mikeymike

The problem with the case is that it doesn't just affect ActiveX, but all plug-in technology, including Macromedia's Flash and Sun's Java. Open Source browsers like Mozilla and Konqueror may well be forced to do without any plug-ins whatsoever.

The risk is that Microsoft, being forced to rewrite a bunch of stuff, are going to introduce new "standards" and we'll end up with more websites that don't work with non-Microsoft browsers.

The loss is obviously bad news for Microsoft, but it may be even worse news for the rest of us.

What we have here is another example of a company failing to exploit their own technology, waiting until others have established it as a widespread practice, then coming up with patent suits and cleaning up without ever producing anything. It's a perfect example of why these loosely defined patents are a complete nightmare.

[bhoggett]

@minator

If MS sell consumer products they should fall under consumer protection laws in which case the EULA will be overrulled and well, ouch!

If they lose the case then "ouch!" indeed, and not just for Microsoft. Open source authors will suddenly become liable for any losses users may suffer as a result of their software having bugs/security flaws. Small commercial developers ditto.

Microsoft may well be able to absorb the cost and adapt to the new conditions, but how many others will be forced to give up?

However, the case has not been won. At this moment it's just one in a long line of cases, many of them completely cranky, filed against large corporations by people looking to make a quick buck through litigation.

[mikeymike]

Re-write meaning they change two lines to break it or (more likely) they find some sneaky way around the patent.

Two lines of what?

re: liability case, I think MS won't lose it

Why do you think this?

Because it would undermine their EULA and engine for their entire business model.  If your business earnt you 11 billion dollars a year, how much would you pay lawyers to keep things that way?  How did the antitrust case go again?