Microsoft BANNED from selling Word in the United States!

Microsoft has NEVER been a technology-based company. It's has ALWAYS been a marketing company. Bill Gates, a college drop-out, only cares about money. That's how he's raised in a wealthy home. That's how he'll always see: "GREED = GOOD".

Microsoft uses its power to suppress any and all innovation that may threaten the grip of power and control of MS in the computer markets.

Like Bernard Madoff, those decision makers at Microsoft will see their final days in disgrace and humiliation and total defeat.

It's interesting how the patent Microsoft is being accused of infringing is dated from July 28, 1998 and the W3C Design Report for the W3C XML Specification DTD is dated from 7 April 1998.

As far as I know the XML is an open standard under control of the W3C.

http://xml.coverpages.org/xmlspec-report-19980407.html for the original 1.0 Design Report of the XML

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5787449.html for the patent Microsoft is being accused of infringing.

What better way to manifest a (artificial) demand for product than to have it banned, and give them 60 days to comply!?
I wonder if someone associated with the case has some major stock holdings of MS!

People still use Microsoft?

Not sure that I'm buying this one yet. There are going to be a lot of people losing jobs over this and there's no chance the minorities will let Obama watch his stock drop out from under him like that.

this reminds me of "dinosaurs will die" by Nofx

This has nothing to do with marketing. It's about a frivolous technology patent with the way Word implements the Office Open XML format. It could become like the gif controversy of the previous decade.

I'm not sure yet but I wouldn't be surprised if open office were in violation of this patent also.

As far as Open Office goes that would have been a nice application 20 years ago but it has a long way to go to reach the same enterprise class level as the Office products. For school papers it's fine.

It's no secret that Microsoft is run by a bunch of marketing strategists - not technologists. Dishonesty is an inherent characteristics of marketing-based outfits like Microsoft.

Something better is out there for FREE! Checkout OpenOffice.org to get free word processing software that is better than MS Word - for FREE! But be sure to support openoffice.org by sending your donation, as you're willing.

Shit, almsot every teacher I've had in college so far requires me to submit papers using various functions on Word. SIHT FUCK SHIT.

but why or is that a daft question

The only reason Bill gives through the Gates foundations is because of Melinda. Bill is an A-hole. So is Jobs.

wowzers...

I don't get it I guess. I don't know what Texas has againest this. Oh yea! I live in south Texas and I still don't understand what is going on. Iguess these folks in Office are tired of there jobs .Time to vote for the next guy or gal that runs for office

I can't wait to see how this pans out, but something tells me it won't be as exciting and world-changing as we're making it out to be...

Thats ridiculous!! How the hell are they going to ban Microsoft word. Its an Apple sabotage i tell you!!!

People are always waiting with glee to jump on MS for any little thing and then repeat the same old FUD from 15 years ago.

However, this patent is kind of vague and basically says the infringement is for using XML as the document format. If this patent holds up it could be a problem for many. I hop MS can squash this one as there will be plenty of other smaller companies out there that could fall victim.

it won't last that verdict will be overturned. Microsoft will probably only pay a portion of the damages. Microsoft word has become the standard today for businesses and schools so there is no way in hell that is going to change over night.

And that is y I have a Mac. Go jobs.

funny you we have to go to the UK to get this story... Though not connected, it's a small consolation for MS dumping that "ribbon" crap on us.

Hahahahahahahahahahahah.....ha......ha :) gotta love it when a giant starts to fall!

but i love msword...

@Incredulous

Please don't hold what our retarded governor said as the general idea of the majority of Texan's beliefs.

Some how I don't see this lasting very long...

I'm no fan of Microsoft, but couldn't Texas just go ahead and secede?

Hm...I never really used it and probably because I was always using OpenOffice.

Gee, I wonder if a regional verdict banning the sale of the most popular word processing software in the US will stand. I guess it could, unless Microsoft has enough influence or money to buy their way out of this.

Microsoft is going to pay the fines (which is the equivalent of about $1.50 to you and me) and change the file format. That's all I see happening.

I wonder how this will affect college term papers, since most teachers and schools require you type assignments in MS Word...

Time to go pirate some software, kiddies.

OpenOffice FTW

its not exactly up to MSOffice's level but it gets the job done.

Actually, MS didn't buy DOS from IBM.
They bought it from a guy named Tim Patterson who wrote QDOS which was based on Gary Kildall's CP/M but was different enough to be considered to be legal.
They gave Patterson 50 grand for the rights to it and started the licensing scheme with IBM.

Patterson later became employed by Microsoft. 1981 to be exact.

And yes, I'm that old. :P

Haha!

EPIC FAIL no wait... EPIC BSOD

on a side note i have been using OpenOffice for years

i'm going to say what everyone in the audience is thinking.... PWND!!!

Oh, that's gonna hurt. Fact is Microsoft never invented anything completely by themselves, other than bloated software. They bought DOS from IBM, the Windows 95 operating system was a rip off of something Macintosh had been doing for years, excel is a rip off of the old Quatro-Pro, Word a rip off of Word Perfect etc. etc, etc. Bill Gates genius was his marketing skill, not his technical savvy.

this seems to big

Does this mean we're landed with nothing but TextEdit? I can't live in that kind of world.

"Say it aint so Paperclip... say it aint so."

Ummm... Wat?

You can buy grenade launchers and assault rifles and god only knows what else at a gun store, but you can't buy microsoft word? Strange place texas