Xbox 360 banned in Germany

So it seems Motorola won a case against Microsoft in German courts over some patent issues and has had sales of the console, along with Windows 7, Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer apparently, banned for the time being.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17924190

It won't last very long. Sooner or later Microsoft will say "Hey, Motorola, did you notice that big pile of money that arrived in your vault?" and Motorola will say "Patent? What patent? We don't have any patent that stops the sale of Xbox and Windows".

@MattyFTM: I'm honestly even surprised that this got the fast exposure it did here in Europe. This was noon front page news in my country. It'll be over soon, no doubt. Still seems to be only a recent development in a long ongoing case of Motorola's against MS.

Good, take down the whiteys and the whitey console.

@FourWude said:

Good, take down the whiteys and the whitey console.

Your looking for the Wii forum.

@Dagbiker said:

@FourWude said:

Good, take down the whiteys and the whitey console.

Your looking for the Wii forum.

But aren't the Wiis all black now as well?

@Chias said:

@Dagbiker said:

@FourWude said:

Good, take down the whiteys and the whitey console.

Your looking for the Wii forum.

But aren't the Wiis all black now as well?

Yah i guess so.

@FourWude: My NES is pretty beige from sitting in the sun too long...

Is that racist?

@Penzilneck said:

@FourWude: My NES is pretty beige from sitting in the sun too long...

Is that racist?

No, thats just bronzed, like Snookie.

@Dagbiker said:

@Penzilneck said:

@FourWude: My NES is pretty beige from sitting in the sun too long...

Is that racist?

No, thats just bronzed, like Snookie.

Snookie is a species unto herself.

@FourWude: Not to be mean, but wouldn't her coloring be described as 'whorange'?

@Penzilneck said:

@FourWude: Not to be mean, but wouldn't her coloring be described as 'whorange'?

Haha! Yes it would. And whorange will now officialy be entering my lexicon. Urban Dictionary says it's a word and tbay's all the confirmation we need for official usage.

360s aren't "banned", they're just not allowed to be sold in Germany. People in Germany can still order them and are still allowed to use them

@Yanngc33: Of course, that's right. I hadn't realized my phrasing could be obviously understood that way. But no, no one's door is being kicked down in Germany over possession of Xboxes.

A place where the 360 isn't sold. That sounds like a utopia.

Germany hasn't had a very good history with games. Wasn't Doom released there only last year?

Microsoft has said that if it met all of Motorola's demands it would face an annual bill of $4bn (£2.5bn). Motorola disputes the figure.

Pocket change. Cheapasses.

@Hitchenson said:

A place where the 360 isn't sold. That sounds like a utopia.

Yes. Also following the 360 out of the door is Windows 7, which cuts out oh, say, about 90% of PC games.

"Winning the injunction came easy, according to Foss Patents, and the real challenge will be in actually enforcing the ban of Microsoft's four popular products named above. It's a given that Microsoft will appeal ruling, and by doing so, Motorola would be on the hook for any damages that arise from a premature enforcement if a court later decides the injunction was bogus. If Motorola wants to take that risk -- and it's a big one -- the company would have to pony up a security bond worth "hundreds of millions of euros."

Probably important to note.

@AlexW00d said:

"Winning the injunction came easy, according to Foss Patents, and the real challenge will be in actually enforcing the ban of Microsoft's four popular products named above. It's a given that Microsoft will appeal ruling, and by doing so, Motorola would be on the hook for any damages that arise from a premature enforcement if a court later decides the injunction was bogus. If Motorola wants to take that risk -- and it's a big one -- the company would have to pony up a security bond worth "hundreds of millions of euros."

Probably important to note.

Well pointed out.

moto isn't allowed to actually give an injunction. no ban is in place.

and ofcourse the only people who are benefiting from it are lawyers. damn, why didn't I become a lawyer?

oh right, now I remember.

@Penzilneck said:

@Yanngc33: Of course, that's right. I hadn't realized my phrasing could be obviously understood that way. But no, no one's door is being kicked down in Germany over possession of Xboxes.

It's hard to not leap to that conclusion. Ya'know with their history of kicking down doors and seizing things.

@YoThatLimp said:

@Penzilneck said:

@Yanngc33: Of course, that's right. I hadn't realized my phrasing could be obviously understood that way. But no, no one's door is being kicked down in Germany over possession of Xboxes.

It's hard to not leap to that conclusion. Ya'know with their history of kicking down doors and seizing things.

I could make a joke and say that I "did nazi that coming", but I'm above that.

I fucking hate humans.

@Penzilneck said:

@Yanngc33: Of course, that's right. I hadn't realized my phrasing could be obviously understood that way. But no, no one's door is being kicked down in Germany over possession of Xboxes.

Patent disputes are the most saddening and disappointing aspect of science and technology. They're not supposed to be able to patent things that are obvious, and yet things like "pinch to zoom" require massive payments to Apple to use. How can you patent a gesture anyway? Does CBS own the vulcan salute?

If I remember correctly, the 360s aren't banned in Germany because Microsoft was granted a preliminary injunction against Motorola to keep them from enforcing any German court orders.

@MattyFTM said:

It won't last very long. Sooner or later Microsoft will say "Hey, Motorola, did you notice that big pile of money that arrived in your vault?" and Motorola will say "Patent? What patent? We don't have any patent that stops the sale of Xbox and Windows".

It will probably look something like this.

@believer258 said:

Yes. Also following the 360 out of the door is Windows 7, which cuts out oh, say, about 90% of PC games.

More like 1% as barely any games require Dx10 or 11 which means you can just use XP.

@Sooty said:

@believer258 said:

Yes. Also following the 360 out of the door is Windows 7, which cuts out oh, say, about 90% of PC games.

More like 1% as barely any games require Dx10 or 11 which means you can just use XP.

Maybe, but you'll have to upgrade from XP sooner or later. I swear, some people hang on to XP like grandmothers were once hanging on to 98.

@believer258 said:

@Sooty said:

@believer258 said:

Yes. Also following the 360 out of the door is Windows 7, which cuts out oh, say, about 90% of PC games.

More like 1% as barely any games require Dx10 or 11 which means you can just use XP.

Maybe, but you'll have to upgrade from XP sooner or later. I swear, some people hang on to XP like grandmothers were once hanging on to 98.

I'll be shocked if this ban lasts more than a week to be honest.

Didn't Sony go through something like this in a patent law suit against LG? I don't recall anything major coming of that either. This will go away quietly.

@devilzrule27 said:

Didn't Sony go through something like this in a patent law suit against LG? I don't recall anything major coming of that either. This will go away quietly.

I might be way off, but you may be talking about the patent-issue over rumbling mechanisms.

@Penzilneck said:

@devilzrule27 said:

Didn't Sony go through something like this in a patent law suit against LG? I don't recall anything major coming of that either. This will go away quietly.

I might be way off, but you may be talking about the patent-issue over rumbling mechanisms.

Nah it definitely wasn't that. I'll see if I can find it.

here it is:

http://www.gamerlaw.co.uk/2011/03/what-lg-vs-sony-lawsuit-means-for-you.html

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/lg-sony-drop-patent-infringement-lawsuits-strike-cross-licensi/

@BigChickenDinner said:

I fucking hate humans.

That's understandable.

This could be a cool experiment. I want to see what happens when an entire country uses Macs. Will it become the most efficient State in the world? Or will it become a country full of hipsters that is alienated from the world?

@NekuCTR: This is Germany we're talking about. They're already the most efficient state in the world.

@NlGHTCRAWLER too soon.

@believer258 said:

@Sooty said:

@believer258 said:

Yes. Also following the 360 out of the door is Windows 7, which cuts out oh, say, about 90% of PC games.

More like 1% as barely any games require Dx10 or 11 which means you can just use XP.

Maybe, but you'll have to upgrade from XP sooner or later. I swear, some people hang on to XP like grandmothers were once hanging on to 98.

I'm fairly confident that most games require Windows Vista or 7 now. I just did a random survey of my Steam games and most of them explicitly state that Windows XP isn't supported.

Germany hasn't had a very good history with games. Wasn't Doom released there only last year?

@Grimluck343 said:

@NlGHTCRAWLER too soon.

I only wish I could have done it sooner.

All people who own one will have to wear a badge with three quarters of a red ring when out in public

I have a hard time taking anything video game related that comes out of Germany seriously.

@familyphotoshoot said:

I have a hard time taking anything video game related that comes out of Germany seriously.

Man, this is hilarious.

@Hitchenson said:

A place where the 360 isn't sold. That sounds like a utopia.

Well sure, unless you like videagamez.

@CaptainObvious said:

@familyphotoshoot said:

I have a hard time taking anything video game related that comes out of Germany seriously.

Man, this is hilarious.

Goddamn hilarious.

@MikeGosot said:

@mandude said:

Germany hasn't had a very good history with games. Wasn't Doom released there only last year?

Yep. Because of graphical violence (Which is not relevant anymore.) and because the history was sadistic, and did not 'neutralized' the violent parts. Whatever that means. I remember making a homework about this.

I don't think they like anything id does. I remember reading that Wolfenstein 3D caused quite a ruckus over there. Can't imagine why!

Great, the next Xbox is just about to be announced anyway, Microsoft should just forget about it.

Don't give them any money.

I didn't even know Motorola was still alive anyway, maybe, this is just them grasping at straws, Microsoft should just forget about it, and they'll probably go bankrupt soon, and then MS can just buy those patents.

@Penzilneck said:

@CaptainObvious said:

@familyphotoshoot said:

I have a hard time taking anything video game related that comes out of Germany seriously.

Man, this is hilarious.

Goddamn hilarious.

Naptime!