Tit for tat: TomTom sues Microsoft for patent infringement
Summary: TomTom, the GPS vendor Microsoft sued last month for patent infringement, has filed a patent-infringement suit against Microsoft.
TomTom, the GPS vendor Microsoft sued last month for patent infringement, has filed a patent-infringement suit against Microsoft.
TomTom is alleging in its suit, filed on March 16, that Microsoft infringes with its Streets and Trips program on four TomTom patents.
Microsoft sued TomTom for for allegedly infringing on eight of its patents. Three of those patents centered around FAT, Microsoft's patented file-allocation-table technology -- and TomTom's implementation in the Linux kernel involving FAT.
It looks like TomTom isn't backing down from its refusal to become one of the growing list of companies signing cross-patent licensing agreements with the Softies.... And it looks like TomTom's suit isn't deterring Microsoft from its original complaints, either, based on the company's statement on TomTom's countersuit.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
Tit for tat: TomTom sues Microsoft for patent infringement
Based on what?
should never have been allowed (along with process patents on how to
clean an office).
Chances are, both suits have a small amount of merit and will end in an
agreement not to bother each other.
Thinking Tom-Tom will just go away is just MS fanyboy wishing.
Bad Mike Cox rip off
He's not a Mike Cox rip off, he's serious. He's like NonZealot. [nt]
Yawn
This is a standard countermove
Typically this dance ends in a cross-license agreement. It's certainly no signing TomTom's death warrant.
Of course if TomTom *does* sign cross licensing then Section 7 of the GPL may kick them in the teeth...
Bwahahaha...
I feel rather good...
TomTom far more accurate
I have a TomTom 710. It knows where my house is. It finds the short way to work. It also finds the way, the short way, if I wish to avoid interstates.
My wife has a Navigon 2200. It thinks my house is at the opposite end of the street. The path to my work place is so convoluted even I can't follow it - and I know this area well.
My daughter has my wife's old Garmin. It's just like the Navigon, but you have to pay through the nose for updates.
RE: *** for tat: TomTom sues Microsoft for patent infringement
Good
TomTom using patents in GPL Code
They want the best off all worlds, they want to steal others patents, breach the GPL, and use their own patents as well.
Yes, TomTom is very very stupid, and well criminal,
Seems like TomTom and the law will never meet.
Silly Troll, companies can always put their own patents in GPL code
Have you ever actually read the GPL?
Here's a translation of it into British English--probably close enough to Strine you shouldn't have much trouble with it:
http://people.csse.uwa.edu.au/jmd/gpl_en.txt
You know, Mary Jo, it would be REALLY helpful...
This way we know nothing of substance. So how about an update? Erica Ogg's article (that you link to) doesn't say anything more than yours does.
Finding it hard to believe huh? Get used to it!
With time and effort the world will get free from those redmond patent trolls :-)
<b>Go</b> Tom Tom <b>Go</b>!
I can barely wait.
The patent sword cuts both ways ...
The best-case scenario is that the court reviews the patents presented and vacates them all, causing the USA patent office to stop granting these all-too-questionable patents in the first place.
Then again, hoping for anything positive out of our legal system is just dreaming ... so we probably won't be seeing the software patent insanity deleted anytime soon.
Regards,
Jon
Goodbye Tom Tom, your history.
Fate?