Microsoft sees $1.5bn verdict chucked out

I say yes and he says no I say start and he says go.

"Judge Rudi Brewster overturned the jury's damages to Alcatel-Lucent for supposed patent infringment of digital music standards. He described the jury's decision as "against the weight of evidence"."

And if the appeal successfully overturns that decision and describes the weight of evidence compelling will Judge Rudi Brewster be adjudged to be a less than worthy officer of the court.

It may hardly be strain for him/her [you never know with some American names] to retire, I'm sure, whenever so much was at stake.

And they all get another bite at the cherry. Well you can blame them for the ease with which they can feather their own nests and all so very w3c SOX Compliant too...... ?

And the winners are...

The Lawyers!! Hooray, can't see the money going to a worthier cause.

Who needs juries...

...when the judges can ignore them if they don't like their verdict?

I seem to recall Dubya recently overruling the judiciary (with his obviously superior legal knowledge).

It seems pointless to have a judicial system at all, if it can be overruled executively when the answers don't suit.

Legal Courts - Regal Warts

Ah, whatever. If Microsoft can apply sufficient political pressure / bribe (delete as applicable) the State of Massachusetts to change their decision on ODF in favour of MS's proprietary OpenXML document format, surely getting a US judge to change his/her mind on a patent infringement claim is a piece of piss?

Surley...

I dont think the average jury is equiped to correctly deliver a verdict of patant fraud, so perhaps they got it wrong!

I can hear the discussion, one late night...

"Hello, Judge Rudi Brewster ? Good Evening.

This Bill G. calling, yes, that Bill G.

I was browsing a bit into our files and reports and I happened upon a funny browser history forwarded to me by ehh... someone in my team.

You know what ? When thinking about the term "Dwarf Tossing" i would think of dimly illuminated pubs with a midget in a footbal gear. I had to turn my monitor 90° to really understand what the pictures wer...

Ah, yes, yes, I understand, it is late and you have a judgement to overturn early tomorrow, yes, better I let you work now, sorry for disturbing. Bye"

@amanfromMars

You're slipping -- I actually understood that one!

Good News

I realize some folks just want to see anything bad happen to Microsoft, but the judge did the right thing. This was a questionable suit and the monitary judgement was absurd. There would have been a series of lawsuits following against everyone who was using mpeg. This is patent trolling at its worst. Why did the US government even allow a French company to buy the patent portfolio of Bell Laboratories?

@Steven Knox

Thank god it's not just me, i was starting to worry. Actually, i suspect an impostor, the capitalization in that comment is entirely rational.

Just working S.M.A.R.Ter .... with both of us Learning about Teachers.

"You're slipping -- I actually understood that one!"

Steven,

Got the Fine Tuners to work Beta. IT is Great to see them working so well. It surely puts a Tiger in any Tank.

And the thread has also expressed a similar body of opinion. No Smoke without Fire they say and you know how hot Spin gets things to burst into Flames.

relief

He's back on form.