On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 15:57:17 +0100, Thomas Berg wrote: > >AFAICS, IANAL, etc but this (that they can block reading Your >own data) should require that they have a valid patent for the >data format (copy right is not sufficient, I think) and that one >must be too old (?). > It depends on who has the more expensive lawyers. I once looked up (with some assistance) the notorious IBM 3270 TAB key patent. It appears that IBM periodically repatents it, always claming some new feature. These appear to me to be only paraphrases of the original claim.
And, it seems to me that the essence of that IBM patent appears in the operation of practically any GUI data entry form that uses TAB to move from field to field. Why hasn't IMB taken action? Or has the patent truly expired? -- gil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
