[kwlug-disc] Frivolous patents

[L.D. Paniak]

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Software patents ridiculous? Say it ain't so. Patenting software is like
patenting A= /pi r^2.

Once you have invented the digital computer the rest is trivial (not
easy, but logically trivial). Really, the bar for what we consider to be
innovative in this society is rather low and dropping every day.
IPhone, electric car, waffles in a can, Twitter...

It's almost 2010, where's my rocket car?

</rant>

Raul Suarez wrote:
>> From: "john at netdirect.ca" <john at netdirect.ca>
>> Still expect Microsoft to lock customers in, screw the small developer (
>> http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/markets/the-close-microsoft-loses-lawsuit-wins-gains/article1249784/
>> ) and manipulate standards (
>> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10308909-16.html).
> 
> I don't know if that's a good example. I see that more as an example of the flawed patent system.
> 
> How could they patent a "Method to author XML documents in Word" ?
> 
> I've read a lot of comments and most people are confused thinking that
> the patent refers to the format used to represent the document ( .DOCX
> or DOCM) when in reality it refers to the content of the document.
> 
> I understand that lay people may get confused but next time you want to
> take a Gartner report seriously just read the quote from analyst Brian
> Prentice regarding the risk for ODF. How can it affect ODF?. ODF is not
> the editor. You cannot use ODF to edit an XML file. It may affect
> OpenOffice.org but only if it came "out of the box" with the
> functionality to edit XML files in the way described in the patent.
> 
> To me this patent is frivolous.
> 
> It's like someone inventing the bicycle and someone else patenting
> riding it to the store and then suing the bicycle inventor when he uses
> the bicycle to go to the store.
> 
> What's next? someone patenting writing letters to the editor in Word? Ridiculous.
> 
> Raul Suarez
> 
> Technology consultant
> Software, Hardware and Practices
> _________________
> http://rarsa.blogspot.com/ 
> An eclectic collection of random thoughts
> 
> 
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