I have no qualms about patenting a new procedure/discovery. However, using XML to allow acces to a file from a different application doesn't seem new to me. If I use a web browser to render an OpenOffice document in a specific manner, isn't this the same thing?
My take on this is that MS is trying to patent something that's already a public standard. But of course, I could be wrong - the article didn't cover many details on the patent. Shawn -----Original Message----- From: Cameron Nikitiuk [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 5:16 PM To: CLUG General Subject: RE: [clug-talk] Microsoft seeking XML Patents Actually...it sounds like typical MS. They will take a technology... and implement as they see fit. Look at TCP/IP for example. If you look at MS's implementation of it; it does conform exactly to the RFC. HTML rendering in IE is another example. It conforms to most of the standards...but it is still ultimately the way MS wants it to work. To be fair to MS...they aren't the only ones who this...nor to make cash off of patents. Our buddies at IBM do the same thing with regards to patents and I am sure other companies have "individualized their implementations of technology"...UNIX would be a good example. > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Shawn Grover > Sent: January 23, 2004 4:08 PM > To: 'CLUG General' > Subject: RE: [clug-talk] Microsoft seeking XML Patents > > > Read through the document further... There is mention of Open Office, but > only in how it reads Microsoft files. It would seem that a > patent like this > would mean that Open Office can't use XML for it's files. Then again, I > don't know Patent Law at all... > > Shawn > > -----Original Message----- > From: Shawn Grover [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 3:55 PM > To: CLUG (E-mail) > Subject: [clug-talk] Microsoft seeking XML Patents > > > http://news.com.com/2100-1013_3-5146581.html?tag=nefd_top > > I haven't had the opportunity to read through the full article yet but the > phrase "The proposed patent would cover methods for an application other > than the original word processor to access data in the document." > strikes me > as being wrong. Doesn't Open Office do this? It already stores it's files > in an XML format, which can be used by any other application..... > > Shawn > > _______________________________________________ > clug-talk mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > > _______________________________________________ > clug-talk mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca > _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca
