Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen Sues Eleven Tech Companies

Paul Allen’s company, Interval, is alleging that four of its patents have been infringed by AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo, and YouTube.

The patents were developed in the 90′s and include “fundamental web technologies” that Allen’s company asserts are being used “by major e-commerce and web search companies.”

According to the Wall Street Journal:

“The technology behind one patent allows a site to offer suggestions to consumers for items related to what they’re currently viewing, or related to online activities of others in the case of social networking sites.

A second, among other things, allow readers of a news story to quickly locate stories related to a particular subject. Two others enable ads, stock quotes, news updates or video images to flash on a computer screen, peripherally to a user’s main activity.”

The lawsuit doesn’t specify how much Interval is seeking in damages. Company spokesperson David Postman says, “This lawsuit is necessary to protect our investment in innovation. We are not asserting patents that other companies have filed, nor are we buying patents originally assigned to someone else. These are patents developed by and for Interval.”

More on Techland: On the Subject of Verizon, Google, AT&T, and Net Neutrality

richardsrussell

Anyone who saw the made-for-TV movie “Pirates of Silicon Valley” knows that all of these companies stole from each other, none more so than Microsoft. Microsoft itself never innovated a damn thing, not even its predatory business practices, which it copied wholesale from the robber barons of the late 19th Century. It either bought out the real innovators or forced them out of business with its vast wealth.

For those who’ve forgotten, Microsoft is an adjudicated monopoly operating under court order.

Last time I remember seeing anything this fatuous, it was an overt satire from “The Onion” about how Bill Gates was copyrighting “1″s and “0″s and demanding a licensing fee for any computer that tried to use them.
spookiewriter

Yea, I base all my opinions on made for TV movies. They are always particular when stating the facts and as such should be used by the entire population as research tools.

Idiot

The only thing somewhat intelligent was saying that they all rob from each other. True, they are all thieves.
As are all businesses.
areyoureallythatway

@spookiewriter: You’re a dick.
richardsrussell

Characterizing an entire fellow human being as an idiot on the basis of half a sentence = brilliant
http://jkolak.wordpress.com jkolak

Well, the movie is pretty accurate. If you have a particular relevant point that you feel is inaccurate, you can be specific.