Cases
Microsoft loses on software patent
Microsoft has lost a patent infringement suit in California in a case brought by Guatemalan inventor Carlos Amado, who has obtained $9 million USD (not nearly as much as the $500 million USD that he had asked for). The claim deals with U.S Patent 5,701,400, a patent that protects a Read more
Cases
DVD protection ruled illegal in France
The Paris Court of Appeals has ruled against the copy protection mechanisms included in DVDs, called Content Scrambling System (CSS). Not too long ago the same mechanism was being enforced in American and Norwegian courts, and now they are declaring that the technology is a bit dodgy. The case was Read more
Cases
GPL granted an injunction in Germany
German courts continue to give credence to the GPL. A software company called Fortinet developed several security products, including firewall and anti-virus software. This was supposed to run on something they called “FortiOS”, which they claimed was their own operating system. The problem is that this operating system was actually Read more
Cases
OFT loses credit card test
Out-Law reports that the OFT has lost a test case about section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This section allows people to sue their credit card companies in cases of contract breach or misrepresentation for transactions ranging from £100 to £30,000 GBP. This case tested whether one could initiate Read more
Cases
ECJ erodes the database right
The ECJ has returned rulings on four different cases that seriously diminish the claims of companies that claim that the investment in synthesizing data compiled in a database does not count as substantial investment as required by the Database Directive. In each case brought before the court, an organizer of Read more