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RE: Another Microsoft XML patent

• To: "'Michael Champion'" <michaelc.champion@g...>,"'M. David Peterson'" <m.david.x2x2x@g...>
• Subject: RE: Another Microsoft XML patent
• From: "Michael Kay" <mike@s...>
• Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 08:15:43 +0100
• Cc: <xml-dev@l...>
• In-reply-to: <e3a5cb2c05060520384f51f92a@m...>
• Thread-index: AcVqZGokktP1KPKvTpSuKBP5j8xYdQAAgohQ

>  From what I recall, and from what I came up with in some quick
> Googling, there are far, far more lawsuits by little companies (often
> those whose only asset is some IP they have purchased) against the big
> companies than actual examples of big companies using dodgy patents to
> crush the competition.

It's certainly true at present that when a company starts exploiting its
patents, you can be pretty sure it's failing to sell its products. It's
true, but it's irrelevant.

Every company is going to hit hard times some day. The point is that you
can't write a line of code any more without violating umpteen patents that
should never have been granted, and that's making the software business
unreasonably risky. If you don't believe that, try to find a UK insurer
who's prepared to cover a small company selling software into the US market.
(They exist, but they take some finding.)

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/

• References:
  • Re: Another Microsoft XML patent
    • From: Michael Champion <michaelc.champion@g...>

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