davenash.com

Just before I turn in for the night, I found a link to this [blog] which basically explains how [Microsoft Internet Explorer] will be updated in the coming days to handle embedded active media such as Flash SWF and Quicktime files. It appears that [Eolas], a company based in the US, claim that they were the first to demonstrate a web browser that could support plugins in 1993; a claim contended by Perry Pei-Yuan Wei, supported by [Tim Berners-Lee].

Eolas claim that the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser infringes their patent and in 2003 Eolas was awarded 1m in damages from Microsoft. Microsoft then proposed to change the way that Internet Explorer supports plugins to negate the need to pay license fees to Eolas, after a fruitless attempt to have the ruling overturned, Microsoft has decided to release a critical update where all users of the Internet Explorer browser will need to click on embedded active media to 'activate' it before it can be interacted with.

This is of course a huge blow to the internet at large and even though there is a [work-around] using Javascript available, which Microsoft have been kind enough to post on their site, many man hours will be lost in changing websites to ensure users will be able to interact with embedded active media. Sites which are completely dependant on Flash for example will be displayed to users but will require the user to click on the Flash movie before they can make use of any navigation.

I want to be clear that I am in no way blaming Microsoft for this recent change, it is my belief that their defeat in court is indicative of a larger problem; a problem where one company holds a patent to one of the web's most widely used functions. I am also worried other closed-source browser developers such as Apple and Opera who may well be next on Eolas' list.

You can also view the [letter written by Tim Berners-Lee to the US Patent and Trademark office] asking for the ruling to be overturned here.