I'm completely serious. If you were to think like that then DVD is proprietary, CD, MicroSD, and even VHS are all proprietary. Ironically DVD and CD are even proprietary to Sony, as in they created it.They are all proprietary formats which became de facto standards yet still remain proprietary. Much like Blu-Ray is the de facto standard for the HD disc format now, yet people still call it proprietary, though they would not dare do the same for DVD it seems. I even find it extremely odd that your article, if it were trying to talk about establishing standards includes UMD disc, as if a nameless cartridge is more a standard format simply because it remains nameless.

I assume what most people mean when they say proprietary is support for de facto standards in their devices, where I don't see the problem. I mean, their devices support the competing proprietary formats better than other manufacturers support theirs. As for actual real standards set by governing bodies, I've only seen support and bigger contribution than most.

Oddly the only compliant I have about Sony not supporting an established de facto standard was a device you didn't even mention; Vita memory cards, though in fairness the console space is a razor and blade model. Still, Sonys consoles support standards and de facto standards better than their competitors.

I think this idea that they are more proprietary spawns from the fact that they are a big name which competes in a space before a de facto standard becomes established. What then happens is that people have a problem with continued support for that format (Memory Stick and ATRAC in particular) even if there is additional support for the now de facto standard in their devices too, that's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Anyway, wildly off topic and just an observation. Sorry.

What about things like SOPA? Sony's money and influence = changes in international law.

When you see propaganda full of dubious claims before you get to see a movie? Blame Sony and Disney. Pretty much everything where you feel that the company hates the customers, is owned by Sony or alike.

It's not black and white, but this list paints a picture of who is willing to pay to change the borders between what's legal and what's illegal, change the map of what the state (US, in this case) should prioritize over regular crime.

It's not black and white, because those who oppose also have monetary interests in NOT changing the law/upholding of it.

How unrelated is that! That was the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, lobbying by these two organizations encompasses pretty much all of the movie and recording studios out there. That's not blocking your competitors with litigation, it's lobbying by an entire Industry. Why people associate that with Sony specifically is beyond me.

Sony directly gave over a million dollars to that one law, plus what they channel through RIAA/MPAA. BTW, take a look at who is on the board of those, and you find Sony again.

This is not "unrelated", this is "evil".

As did all of the others in that industry. Two of the other big organizations of the "big 3" (Time Warner, Universal) gave much more. They too are on the board of the MPAA and RIAA, it would only make sense seeing as they are in the industry.

My point about it being unrelated was that it was not an example of an "all-out litigation attack to ban other manufacturers". Not in the slightest. Unless you think piracy is a manufacturer?

It's alive...!!!

Nokia claims Nexus 7 tablet infringes on its patents

Care to define "it"?

I don't remember ever talking about litigation attacks to ban other manufacturers. I distinctly remember talking about Sony and the like shifting it's influence to change laws. Whatever tangent you are on, is your business.

He probably meant to prefix IT with 'sh'

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/...-nokia-patents

time for nokia to enter the patent fight fro real to make way for a new nokia tablet. Apple and google are using their patents, so time for nokia and microsoft to push harder in this area.