[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: Microsoft files for XML patents, says C|Net
I was distracted when this turned up yesterday, so I didn't look at it, but I did this morning. The reporting makes it appear that these patent applications (conducted in Europe and New Zealand) apply only to MS Office's (Word's) handling of XML, in 31 specific claims, most of which do look patentable merely from the aspect of being Word-specific. The other arguments for using substitution of XML, XHTML, etc. aren't needed, and don't affect the base argument. While this has implications, I don't necessarily see any great reason to get in a swivet about it. If Microsoft wants to paint themselves into a corner, that's fine with me. If they want to make it more expensive to convert Word documents into XML that is useful outside the MS closed universe, it seems like another argument to excuse ourselves from the thicket. Personally I think a better case could be made for forcing Word into the public domain on the basis of its widespread installation using the argument that they have made it an unavoidable monopoly through their illegal business practices. I know that's a non-starter, but getting it talked about might be interesting. A more practical approach would be for the open source/open standards community to develop a community converter application that is bullet-proof (lawyer proof) that takes any word processing document and converts it into raw text and then produces a generic XML candidate version which Word users could then approve or change through the converter application to a candidate version that they can approve. They can then publish both the Word version for the community that wishes to use the MS suite and the raw text/XML version or an Open Office version. It would take a while to get comfortable with such a wasteful system, but it would at least offer an alternative to bending the knee to MS and it would help ensure that XML doesn't become a de facto MS property. Ciao, Rex At 6:36 PM +1100 1/24/04, Doug Hudgeon wrote: >It would need to be marked up though to be patentable: > ><CogentListArgument temperature="nonFlaming"> > Text of Argument ></CogentListArgument> > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: John Cowan [mailto:cowan@m...] >Sent: Saturday, 24 January 2004 5:30 PM >To: Bob Wyman >Cc: xml-dev@l... >Subject: Re: Microsoft files for XML patents, says C|Net > >Bob Wyman scripsit: > >> There has been a rash of patents applied for and granted >> recently whose only differentiation from the prior art is that the >> call for encoding data using HTML, XHTML or XML. In many cases, the >> "process" being patented is exactly like others that have been long in >> use, the only difference is the encoding format. The Microsoft >> patent[2] that Tim Bray pointed to in his note falls largely in this >> class. If you substitute "ASN.1" for the occurrences of XML and/or XSD >> in this patent, you'll see that prior art extends back to 1982 or so >> -- especially since, "ASN.1 is an XML schema language." [1] Thus, >> using ASN.1, rather than XSD, I could produce a system which is >> effectively identical to that in the Microsoft patent application by >> simply translating the XSD into ASN.1. Would this mean that I could >> get a patent on such a system? Or, if I translated the schema to >> RelaxNG or Schematron that I could get additional patents? Based on >> current patent office practice, it seems like the answer is "Yes." >> However, this is clearly wrong. > >There's no reason you couldn't get a patent on this very argument: >it's sufficiently "novel and useful" to pass muster, apparently. > >-- >"By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair, you shall jcowan@r... >have neither the Ring nor me!" --Frodo http://www.ccil.org/~cowan > >----------------------------------------------------------------- >The xml-dev list is sponsored by XML.org <http://www.xml.org>, an >initiative of OASIS <http://www.oasis-open.org> > >The list archives are at http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/ > >To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list use the subscription >manager: <http://lists.xml.org/ob/adm.pl> > > > > >----------------------------------------------------------------- >The xml-dev list is sponsored by XML.org <http://www.xml.org>, an >initiative of OASIS <http://www.oasis-open.org> > >The list archives are at http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/ > >To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list use the subscription >manager: <http://lists.xml.org/ob/adm.pl> -- Rex Brooks GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison, Berkeley, CA, 94702 USA, Earth W3Address: http://www.starbourne.com Email: rexb@s... Tel: 510-849-2309 Fax: By Request
|
PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced! Download The World's Best XML IDE!Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today! Subscribe in XML format
|