That’s the result of a German court ruling after determining Microsoft violated certain patents. More specifically, media streaming patents that were owned by Motorola. The court order also includes any device that currently runs Windows 7 (aka most PCs), further signifying just how absolutely ridiculous patent lawsuits have become in the tech industry.
Banning video game consoles and operating systems due to patents on media streaming? Is this technology somehow in-laid with pure gold and diamonds?
Fear not fellow beer-drinkers, despite the ruling in Deutschland, Motorola is currently barred from doing anything about it due to another court order in Seattle, giving Microsoft time to appeal the decision (Motorola is US-based). However, until Microsoft and Google (which is acquiring Motorola Mobility and its patents) decide to kiss and makeup, you can expect to hear more of this in the future as the multi-pronged patent war currently raging in Germany spills over into other sectors.
Source:
Reuters
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Motorola can’t enforce it til the patent dispute in the U.S. Washington state court concludes.
Wow…that really sucks for future Xbox 360 gamers, as well as future Windows 7 PC owners. So what happens in a case like that, the PCs have to get sold with Vista loaded onto them? That’s just ridiculous… Something like that better not happen here.
imagine if Ford asked for patents every single time someone made a car. Imagine if Greece asked for patents every time someone used Greek philosophers or Democracy.
lol Patents are such a joke. And so is the German court when it comes to them. Second time they do something like this.
Yeah, this seems off. Hopefully that wont be the case.