Patent troll loses lawsuit they filed, must pay Microsoft $20.75 million

[Dremora]

http://www.crn.com/software/210201064

Immersion, the patent troll that has sued Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft over their force feedback controllers, has had the lawsuit thrown out, and has settled with Microsoft for over $20 million to avoid a countersuit.

:lolflag::lolflag::lolflag:

[Canis familiaris]

So?

[xeth_delta]

I do not sympathize at all with Microsoft, they being in my view one of the largest patent trolls/bullies themselves, especially in the case of software patents.

Frivolous patent claims being thrown out is, however, great news. This can be used in the future as a precedent to stop trolls.

Anyhow, I still believe software patents are counter-productive and against freedom for innovation, a nuissance.

[buntunub]

I think his point is that patent trolls pose a much, much, much greater threat to Open Source than Microsoft ever will. They are the absolute scum of the earth and must be defeated at all costs. They have perverted American Patent law and stifled innovation at every turn. This is the single cause that should unite all Software users and developers of all kinds to action in every way possible to absolutely wreck and destroy anyone that has anything to do with Patent Trolling. The next thing that must happen following this, is the reformation of Patent law to recognize that Software cannot be Patented - Copyrighted yes - Patented NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!

[worx101]

Urm... technically they won... Microsoft settled with them (an unknown amount) with the deal that if Immersion won in it's case against Sony that it would REFUND Microsoft a portion of the settlement. But, MS was unhappy with what they got back, so they sued for alittle more...

But, Immersion are working as a MS partner now... so did they really lose in this?

[Dremora]

Urm... technically they won... Microsoft settled with them (an unknown amount) with the deal that if Immersion won in it's case against Sony that it would REFUND Microsoft a portion of the settlement. But, MS was unhappy with what they got back, so they sued for alittle more...

But, Immersion are working as a MS partner now... so did they really lose in this?

I guess I read that wrong.

So technically they won, then they had to refund Microsoft's money, plus $5 million?

Five mil still isn't a bad take when it was you that got sued. :lolflag:

[buntunub]

Urm... technically they won... Microsoft settled with them (an unknown amount) with the deal that if Immersion won in it's case against Sony that it would REFUND Microsoft a portion of the settlement. But, MS was unhappy with what they got back, so they sued for alittle more...

But, Immersion are working as a MS partner now... so did they really lose in this?

Well, Ballmer has stated repeatedly that Patent Trolls stifle innovation and are one of their biggest threats. I cant see Microsoft letting them off easy, as that just would not make any sense now would it? I could buy that Microsoft took some of their money and probably made them sign some agreement to go crawl under a rock or something along those lines..

[xeth_delta]

Urm... technically they won... Microsoft settled with them (an unknown amount) with the deal that if Immersion won in it's case against Sony that it would REFUND Microsoft a portion of the settlement. But, MS was unhappy with what they got back, so they sued for alittle more...

But, Immersion are working as a MS partner now... so did they really lose in this?

Why am I not surprised Microsoft would collaborate with such companies...

[SunnyRabbiera]

Well, Ballmer has stated repeatedly that Patent Trolls stifle innovation and are one of their biggest threats.

And yet MS itself has been a patent troll itself for some time now.

[xeth_delta]

And yet MS itself has been a patent troll itself for some time now.

Exactly, one of the biggest, which not only uses the patents directly, but also FUD shamelessly.