[oclug] Ouch (MS word processing patent)

[Robert Brockway]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005, Sean Hammond wrote:

> >From Slashdot, Microsoft have a patent application in process that states:
> 
> "Microsoft invented and owns the process whereby a word-processing
> document stored in a single XML file may be manipulated by
> applications that understand XML."

What is particularly disturbing is the loose language such as 
"word-processing document".  Are documents written in vi, pico or lyx 
included?  If something like this was accepted as a patent wide-scale 
civil disobedience may need to be considered.
 
> And isn't a sort of obvious idea?

Exactly.  It is time we as a society took a long hard look at patents 
before they managed to completely stifle innovation.

Rob

-- 
Robert Brockway B.Sc.
Senior Technical Consultant, OpenTrend Solutions Ltd.
Phone: 416-669-3073 Email: rbrockway at opentrend.net http://www.opentrend.net
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