Re: Microsoft seeks XML-related patents

Hi Richard,

I think the following link is related:

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/ip/format/xmlpatentlicense.asp

It appears Microsoft is trying to protect their Office XML "Schema" 
design. 

The Schema License is free, under conditions, so I think they're just 
trying to prevent "un-licensed" applications from reading and writing 
Office XML documents.

Most XML Schemas and/or Vocabularies are free and open - to a point. 
Microsoft is probably just trying to make sure they're in charge of the 
Schema, and not another Office style application from other sources.

Doesn't surprise me, I bet it's not too long before others (read: not 
Microsoft) take similar measures to protect their XML Schemas as 
Intellectual Property.

XML is a method of representing information, much like coloured paint is 
for representing expression and images in a painting.

You can't patent colours, but you can patent/copyright ownership of what 
you paint. 

Of course, I could be totally out to lunch...and not understand a word of 
what I'm reading. I'm a programmer, not a lawyer :-P

Thanks for the link. Cheers....

Scott Cadillac,
XML-Extranet - http://xmlx.ca
403-281-6090 - scott@xmlx.ca
--
Well-formed Programming in C# .NET, Witango, MSIE and XML


-----Original Message-----
From: "Richard M. Smith" <rms@computerbytesman.com>
To: "W3C Public Web Plugins List" <public-web-plugins@w3.org>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 16:31:18 -0500
Subject: Microsoft seeks XML-related patents

> http://news.com.com/2100-1013_3-5146581.html?tag=nefd_top
> 
> Microsoft seeks XML-related patents
> 
> Last modified: January 23, 2004, 12:24 PM PST
> By David  <mailto:david.becker@cnet.com?subject=FEEDBACK:Microsoft
> seeks
> XML-related patents> Becker 
> Staff Writer, CNET News.com
> 
>    <http://news.com.com/2102-1013_3-5146581.html?tag=st_util_print>
> Print
> story    
> <http://news.com.com/2113-1013_3-5146581.html?tag=st_util_email>
> E-mail story     <javascript:void(0)>  
> 
> Microsoft has applied for patents that could prevent competing
> applications
> from reading documents created with the latest version of the software
> giant's Office program. 
> 
> The company filed similar patent
> <http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv3.espacenet.com%2Ftextdo
> c%3FD
> B%3DEPODOC%26IDX%3DEP1376387%26QPN%3DEP1376387&siteId=3&oId=2100-1013-5
> 14658
> 1&ontId=7343&lop=nl_ex> applications in New Zealand and the European
> Union
> that cover word processing documents stored in the XML (Extensible
> Markup
> Language) format. The proposed patent would cover methods for an
> application
> other than the original word processor to access data in the document.
> The
> U.S. Patent Office had no record of a similar application. 
> 
> ....
> 
>  
> 
>

Received on Friday, 23 January 2004 16:59:28 UTC