How to work around Eolas
Don Park explains that there are three ways to deal (technically speaking) with the Eolas patent:
- Generate <OBJECT> tag using JavaScript
- Add a special - i.e., non-standard - attribute
- Require users to click Ok in a dialog box before proceeding
Those are some ugly choices. The first blows, because so many people have JavaScript turned off (if you run a Windows based software firewall, it's likely off by default). The second seems less awful - after all, IE is dominant. The only problem is, usage of other browsers is high enough that this will cause grief. The third is just annoying as heck.
As I reported yesterday, Eolas is now trying to get an injunction against IE distribution. This shouldn't make users of Netscape, Opera (et. al.) happy, because those browsers have exactly the same problem with respect to the Eolas suit. This whole thing just stinks, and I'm amazed that it hasn't been sunk yet by a prior art showing.
Comments
Other browsers are OK I think ...
[] October 9, 2003 20:27:39.920
Hasn't the guy who owns Eolas said that he's using the patent to "change the browser industry" by trying to knock Microsoft down a notch? In other words, he only wants to sue Microsoft because they're Microsoft ... Which should mean no problems for Mozilla etc. It's still wrong and broken. Although Microsoft kind of deserve it, since they aquire stupid patents all the time ... and they don't have the guts to say that the patent system is broken, because they're happy to ride that particular train. They're willing to suck suits like this up.
Untitled
[yori] October 10, 2003 1:10:18.685
i think Ray Ozzie did some prior art demonstration on this patent. read about it here http://www.ozzie.net/blog/stories/2003/09/12/savingTheBrowser.html