- From: Charles McCathieNevile <charles@sidar.org>
- Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 12:04:18 +0300
- To: "Rotan Hanrahan" <Rotan.Hanrahan@mobileaware.com>, w3c-wai-gl@w3.org, w3c-wai-au@w3.org
[dropped ac-forum since I am not a subcriber to that list] I read the patent. It was filed March 6 97. It not only includes navigating with a keyboard, but also + predefining the "tab" key as the particular key to use + being able to do this even if the links are defined in an image map + being able to provide a visual indicator that can be rectangualr OR non-rectangular (circles and polygons are explicitly mentioned) + being able to expose this mechanism in a ccoputer readable way. + Lots of repetition of the above. Most of this occured with Lynx when I used it in 1996. Although it didn't display circles or polygons. On Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:38:02 +0100, Rotan Hanrahan <Rotan.Hanrahan@MobileAware.com> wrote: > I see a threat to the mobile/celular Web. I see a threat to Web > accessibility. I see a threat to the patent based on prior art and the fact that it is blindingly obvious. I see a threat to the credibility of claims that software patents are worthwhile, particularly from people who apply for such patents. (I see a threat to the credibility of the research groupp that did this, and hope for their sake that they can blame it on some other department). I see an even bigger threat to the credibility of anyone who tries to enforce such a patent. (I see a threat to credibility all over the place. I recently saw a government minister explaining that his legislation enforcing US patents was fine, since the US patent system doesn't let bad patents be granted...) I see a job opportunity, for working at the US patent Office. (Along the lines of "When I am an evil mastermind I will employ a 5-year-old to review my plans for world domination and point out the flaws that any 5-year-old could see"). I don't see any real threat from this patent, except that somebody might be forced to waste time defending the blindingly obvious in court. Fortunately, since I don't live or work in THe US where the patent is valid, it is unlikely to be me. I suspect that the patent holders are smart enough to realise that they wasted their money on the application an will just let it slide into obscurity, so I don't think even that risk is very high. cheers Chaals -- Charles McCathieNevile charles@sidar.org FundaciĆ³n Sidar http://www.sidar.org
Received on Tuesday, 7 September 2004 10:04:58 UTC