In case you needed proof that Microsoft was bad ass, look no further: Apple to Pay Microsoft for Ipods
While all you Ipod lovers (see: idiots) were touting Apple's superiority and mocking Bill Gates for falling behind, the man was pulling off the heist of the century. Instead of coming up with his own product, and thus having to devote time and resources, he felt it would be better to simply make Apple pay him to release THEIR OWN INVENTION.
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The iPod was launched in November 2001 but Apple waited until July 2002 to file for a patent; Microsoft snuck in to license some of the technology the previous May.
Furious, Apple has said it will appeal the decision but at the moment it looks as though the firm will be paying a high price for the success of its product.
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While Apple was busy adding fruity colors to their palette and whoring out U2, Gates was exhibiting that one thing that Apple's history has been completely devoid of...business sense. Is there a better market position than forcing your competitor to pay you money? If Ipods continue selling well, then Bill gets even richer, and if sales drop off, well it probably means its because people are buying Microsoft products...and you guessed it, Bill gets even richer.
Way to go Apple, I hope the road to obscurity treats you well. How is that Ipod shuffle working out? Oh, wait, no one can answer that question because not a single person bought one. Anyone still buying iMacs? Or was that just other one of your worthless products bought solely by fad hungry metrosexual losers? History sure likes to repeat itself, doesn't it?
I know it seems weird, but this move absolutely astounds me with its awesomeness. I've always been a PC guy, but this solidifies that for life. I'd like to see Apple try and call Bill Gates a nerd as they stuff money into his pockets due to their own stupidity.
So with that, I tip my cap to William Gates for kicking the crap out of Apple for the 400 millionth time.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - OneMonkey'sUncle
WTF? What are you, twelve? Thirteen? Did your mom leave herself logged in to Blogcritics?
From the article:
"The iPod was launched in November 2001 but Apple waited until July 2002 to file for a patent; Microsoft snuck in to license some of the technology the previous May."
Now, go somewhere quiet, look up the legal definition of "prior art" and get a freakin' grip, sonny. This kind of back-and-forth legal wrangling over patents is commonplace in the technology industry, and far from the Utter Triumph of Bill Gates Over Common Sense and Reason you seem to think it is. The chances of Apple paying Microsoft one single cent on any iPod living or dead is pretty much nonexistent out here in the real world.
2 - Matt
So, iPod lovers=idiots. That's rich, Ryan.
Don't you have to get ready for the 11th grade or something?
3 - ryanclarkholiday
Hmm, well considering the court ruled in microsofts favor...im pretty sure there is a chance.
apple forgot to get its patent so microsoft beat them to the punch.
4 - ryanclarkholiday
"The basis for the denial: A similar method outlined in a Microsoft researcher�s patent application, filed after the iPod was introduced but before Apple sought its own patent"
suck on that.
5 - OneMonkey'sUncle
Hmm, you really DON'T know how patents are normally fought legal system, do you?
Anyway, in the meantime I've had a chance to review the... uh... "writings"... on your blog, which I probably should have done before I responded the first time. You're certainly not in any position to "debate" this, so, never mind.
6 - Dave Nalle
The guy uses a PC and likes it. Can his mind be entirely functional?
Dave
7 - Ian
Apple's stupid
8 - Temple Stark
... the new song by green day.
9 - Space Gorilla
Microsoft is so pathetic. Instead of inventing something, they wait until the iPod is on store shelves, run out and buy it, write up a patent on it, and beat Apple to the patent office.
However, there's a minor issue of who invented the iPod, and all Apple has to do is prove they were the inventor, which renders Microsoft's rip-off patent null and void.
You really should know your facts before you spout off. I assume you were just copying the equally bad reporting of this story in the mainstream media.
You can't scoop somebody's invention just by running to the patent office first.
10 - Mark Sahm
I think this post is more appropriate for MySpace.
11 - Dave Nalle
Now that's a cruel comment, Mark.
Dave
12 - Mark Sahm
Must have been my iPod talking.
13 - RJ
I hope the author is right. It's always nice to see Apple get kicked in the teeth...again... ;-)
14 - Zox
Well the author got the story all wrong, that's funny because he use the story as his basis for his hate filled comments. Microsoft doesn't own the patent for the iPod, plain and simple. Let's all laugh at him and his stupid blog :)
Hey mister Ryan Clark Hate, don't you have better things to do than hating people for their choice of brand? Don't you have a girlfriend? Really you are writing and behaving like a 13 year old kid trying to look cool by bashing people. As we can see, your aggressive friend RJ from high school joined you in the comment thread!
15 - studentrights
The United States uses the "first to invent" system, not the first to patent system, so guess who invented the iPod first. Guess?
Also, our "first to invent" patent system also allows the inventor, in this case Apple, 12 months to file AFTER they invent. So Apple was simply exercising it's rights under the law.
Let's also not forget that the patent is for the menu system used in the the iPod, not for the iPod as a whole device. Besides, Microsoft's patent was also denied. I wonder why? Maybe because they stoled it just like they do everything else. You'd be surprised how many of their products were bought, bullied, or stolen from someone else. Can you say MS-DOS, MS Windows, etc,?
Go get a girlfriend! Your "penis envy" of Apple is showing.
16 - Ken Edwards
You might want to do some research on your own before bashing Apple, althought I can tell you like to bash before thinking, so I won't stop you. Let me just say it can make you look like an idiot.
They are TWO different patents. If you do a search of th USPTO site, you will find out the truth.
I also suggest you read this blog post:
17 - Victor Plenty
Isn't it immoral to celebrate theft, fraud, and other forms of dishonesty? Microsoft is clearly in the wrong here, claiming a legal right to profit from technology someone else invented. You are very obviously aware that they don't deserve a single penny from iPod sales, but you don't seem to care one iota for the moral dimension of this case.
Your bashing of Apple's products is an example of irrelevant emotional reasoning. I don't own any recent Apple products myself, but I've seen plenty of quite normal-looking people carrying around iPod Shuffles and other Apple gear.
Hardly conservative of you to crow over Microsoft's underhanded tactics. Unless of course you're the common type of fake "conservative" who thinks robbery and fraud is fine and dandy when rich people do it.
18 - Zox
Read this, uninformed hate-filled author:
19 - joe
Ryan, you sure *do* know a lot for an eighteen-year old ...
20 - Capn Ken
I was going to chime in, but the above comments covered pretty much everything.
Ryan: Good luck in school this year. Just remember, high school can be a lot harder than middle school, so study hard, little champ!
21 - Mark Saleski
wow, i'm a metrosexual loser.
...no wonder i felt funny yesterday.
22 - Paul
Um Ryan- It's a shame your critical thinking skills are so poor.
http://wizbangblog.com/archives/006750.php
http://wizbangblog.com/archives/006789.php
But you do show the typical IQ of the average Microsoft zealot.
You hopeless moron.
23 - -E
Sigh, I love my iPod gosh darnit, and if that makes me a loser, then I shall gladly embrace my loserness. I also love my G5 and PowerBook and every single other Apple product I own. I think I'll go listen to my iPod as I video something with an iSight and then edit it on iMovie.
24 - Steve S
how sad and ironic that conservatives go on ranting and raving about the welfare system and how it encourages 'freeloading', but then they pretty much froth at the mouth with excitement when it's done on the corporate level.
What is the difference here between what Bill Gates is doing and abuse of a welfare system, except dollar amount?
25 - Mark Saleski
victor sez: Isn't it immoral to celebrate theft, fraud, and other forms of dishonesty?
i believe that's what microsoft refers to as 'innovation'.