So this week a jury decides in favor of Alcatel-Lucent, telling Microsoft to fork over $367 million for patent infringement. Alcatel reportedly was hoping for $1.5 billion -- so is the win a big one or a small one? Truth is, it isn't even a win, yet.

Microsoft will appeal and the technology will likely be retired before one side or the other truly wins. The best analysis on this case is from blogger Tech.blorge who wrote:

"Although these are big names, Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, who really cares who ultimately wins this case? It’s just one big company fighting with another big company over things most people don’t understand. Large sums of money are spent arguing over who owns the rights to what technology or a specific modification, tweak, or variation of a technology ..."

The bigger point wasn't that no one should care about these cases -- just that ultimately, the CEOs of the companies involved often don't -- they just pass the cost along to users and consumers.

Go to the Microsoft Subnet home page for more news, blogs, opinion.

 

Click to read the article this is in response to.