11 Comments
Mar 23, 2021Liked by Steven Sinofsky

Glad to know others share an appreciation for a good Lyson wipe-down between office moves.

I found note-taking in a TA role to be a lot more work than I initially imagined, and didn't have a clear understanding of when to share or refer to them in group settings. I once recited a segment of notes from a prior staff meeting with the detail of a court reporter, attributing specific statements, and learned quickly that I had not approached the task the way my leadership had hoped... at least it made for some good chuckles.

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Mar 24, 2021Liked by Steven Sinofsky

Hi Steven, could you elaborate on this point a little?

>... Bill would routinely say that the portfolio was purely defensive. Note to readers, that noble stance never lasts in the real world.

Do you mean that a patent portfolio inevitably becomes an offensive tool despite the best intentions? Something different?

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Patents would be used to defend Microsoft if it were to be sued. The patents would be used to counter sue or drive a license. This is typically the reason companies build portfolios of patents—as a defensive measure. This contrasts with having patents and using them to proactively sue others to gain license fees or cause trouble for competitors.

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Mar 24, 2021Liked by Steven Sinofsky

Thanks for the explanation! It's something I've always wondered about as patents tend to be advertised as a defensive measure. The number of high profile patent cases in recent tech sector memory (and otherwise, I suppose) stands in stark contrast to that seemingly noble position.

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Thanks for this. I'm particularly interested in what led you to say "that noble stance never lasts in the real world". I agree with you and am interested in what specifically you saw that led you to say this.

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Eventually most companies end up using patents to go on the offense in defense of their core business.

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Yes of course. I have multiple examples of this at my own companies. I was hoping for a specific example of MSFT doing this. Maybe FAT for cameras, etc. Perhaps you can or would rather not give examples. I too used to be against these, like the Zoomracks guy. After enough rounds in Tyler,Tx., I think they’re important and justified fo defense, and as Nathan has shown, have real value.

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deletedMar 26, 2021Liked by Steven Sinofsky
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Stay tuned!

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deletedMar 27, 2021Liked by Steven Sinofsky
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I didn't mean it that way. I would prefer not repeat myself in the comments and know that this is in the next section. It is just a challenge with an unfolding story relative to questions that might be what is next versus clarifying or illuminating what has transpired. I'll try to do better.

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