In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, John Chambers
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
other fora: Microsoft has received a US patent on some of their XML
encodings generated by Word. This may not matter much yet outside the
US, though Europe is probably going to enable similar laws shortly.
In the US, decoding such files with software not licensed by
Microsoft is not only a patent infringement; it is also a DMCA
violation.
That is really excellent news. Why?
1) If proof were needed that patenting is now defeating the object it
was intended to serve, this is a very fine example.
2) If MS do start prosecuting based on this, its a good reason for even
more people to move away from Microsoft Office software. I'd have
thought the Linux camp would be overjoyed by such a stupid move as
patenting a document interchange format. Jef Raskin must be wondering
why he bothers with his user interface work when its all thrown away
because you can't even share the document you wrote.
The ecommerce company I work for will not accept purchase orders in
Microsoft format because Microsoft keep changing the document format and
thus force an upgrade on you. We insist on PDF because Adobe provide a
free reader (I've recently noticed MS now provide a free Word reader).
No going back, we're sticking with Adobe.
I don't dislike Microsoft - the MSDN programme is superb, OSDN doesn't
come close. I do dislike enforced upgrades of software, burning of
customers. Microsoft Office policy fits this nicely, from what I've
seen.
Taking the above patent idea a bit further: Patenting a data format,
thats a bit like patenting DNA (pointless, we all own it) or patenting
the alphabet. Patenting the use of such ideas is also pointless (reading
is a public domain activity as is the mammalian response to various DNA
sequences and enzymes, etc).
Sorry, end rant. I'm surprised I haven't seen the above patent mentioned
on Slashdot, although I could've missed it.
Stephen
--
Stephen Kellett
Object Media Limited http://www.objmedia.demon.co.uk
RSI Information: http://www.objmedia.demon.co.uk/rsi.html
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