Online business Toolkit

Story: Microsoft criticised for IP address configuration patent

Posted by: Anonymous (Thursday 24 March 2005, 2:24 AM)

That should say IPv4-like, since this patent concerns only IPv4, not IPv6. It should also mention that Microsoft specifically revealed this patent to the IETF (the Internet Engineering Task Force) about in August 2000, and it has been on prominent public display ever since.

Since no links or other supporting evidence is presented concerning PUBPAT's accusations it's natural for a reader like myself to assume that an incompetent or fraudulent journalist at ZDnet invented the entire thing to meet their daily word count and get an early start at the bar.

Obviously a correction must be uploaded at the first possible opportunity, and perhaps ZDnet should take the opportunity to review fact-checking procedures. If PUBPAT's quotes in this article are correct, it would have been appropriate for ZDnet to attempt to verify them with Microsoft or IETF representatives. If the quotes are made up too, the journalist ought not to have a desk to come back to when they get back from the bar.