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The claims of this patent on the text pages on espacenet.com don't contain all claims in the finally granted patent. Those can be found in the B1 form (click on claims). Then you can see the first claim contains ordering a gift for someone by providing his/her email address.

The problem here is that patents are increasingly and increasingly not about ways to solve a problem and about problems

If you make a processing device coupled to a memory, input device and screen guess the word you want to type, you violate that patent. The more specific claims simply add different kinds of keyboards you can use, that you can also use the frequency of chosen words to guide suggestions, allowing people to turn on/off this guiding algorithm, showing a list of possible words if there's ambiguity and let the user choose from those etc... Not really things that narrow the scope of the claims very much.

The problem here is that patents are increasingly and increasingly not about ways to solve a problem and about problems

If you make a processing device coupled to a memory, input device and screen guess the word you want to type, you violate that patent. The more specific claims simply add different kinds of keyboards you can use, that you can also use the frequency of chosen words to guide suggestions, allowing people to turn on/off this guiding algorithm, showing a list of possible words if there's ambiguity and let the user choose from those etc... Not really things that narrow the scope of the claims very much.

EP1376387.
Word-processing document stored in a single XML file
Applicant(s): MICROSOFT CORP (US)

Claims:

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

a first component for reading a word-processor document stored as a single XML file;
a second component that utilizes an XSD for interpreting the word-processor document, and
a third component for performing an action on the word-processor document.

... and so on down to claim 31.

This is only a patent application, not (yet) a granted patent (in fact in the EU the patent application has only just been published, on 2 Jan this year).

From the 'priority number' (US20020187060 20020628) it looks as though the original application was for a US patent, filed some time in 2002. So that is the cut-off date for prior art.

The full paperwork file for the EPO patent application can also be viewed, at EPOline.

The European version can be found here . Looks identical at first sight, though I did not compare all the claims word for word yet. Another great patent waiting to be legalised. Act now!

The patent is GB2366891. The crux of it is that programs that use more than a certain percentage of the CPU (eg: 50%) are incrementally slowed down by quickly pausing/unpausing their threads at short intervals until their CPU usage is reduced below the threshold.

How does this qualify for a patent? It's self evident! Things like this have been done in real time control systems (software and physical) for decades. It is nothing more than a high-frequency 1-bit DAC controller. Just because instead of controlling chemical reaction rates, the system is used for controlling processor usage, suddenly this method is worthy of a patent? Take a look at one of their diagrams. Is that the standard for new and inventive developments in the software industry? A flow chart with four, count them, four steps?

The patent system needs an overhaul, and fast.

The patent is GB2366891. The crux of it is that programs that use more than a certain percentage of the CPU (eg: 50%) are incrementally slowed down by quickly pausing/unpausing their threads at short intervals until their CPU usage is reduced below the threshold.

How does this qualify for a patent? It's self evident! Things like this have been done in real time control systems (software and physical) for decades. It is nothing more than a high-frequency 1-bit DAC controller. Just because instead of controlling chemical reaction rates, the system is used for controlling processor usage, suddenly this method is worthy of a patent? Take a look at one of their diagrams. Is that the standard for new and inventive developments in the software industry? A flow chart with four, count them, four steps?

The patent system needs an overhaul, and fast.

Patenting a stack would be like patenting the lever.

Laugh or cry - I just found out that the if statement was patented this year in Europe.

Guess who's really laughing...

Mirror Image Internet, Inc., since they were wise enough to file almost everywhere, contrary to quite some others... Go to the Espacenet, the European Patent Office search database and search for Mirror Image Internet as applicant.

The fat lady will be singing for quite a while in this case.

1) Make sure you don't infringe patents, like
"Use of hyperlinks in a computer program for an automation application and programmed computer for such an application"
"Method and system including a server, client-terminal, computer and computer program, delivering sound data"
"A computer system and a program install method thereof"
2) When you've found the 100 or so patents your program-to-be infringes, get a deal with all the inventors. (If some of them are slippery, you can probably "invent around" their claim in a couple of months)
3) Pay IBM for not starting a lawsuit you can't afford
4) (Minor step) Write your program
5) Sell it (hoping you won't be victim of a submarine patent)
6) PROFIT!!! (for your lawyer)

Nahhh, on the other hand, just drop developing, and become lawyer yourself (or take advantage of our generous social system, if being a "productive member of the society" is not your cup of tea)

1) Make sure you don't infringe patents, like
"Use of hyperlinks in a computer program for an automation application and programmed computer for such an application"
"Method and system including a server, client-terminal, computer and computer program, delivering sound data"
"A computer system and a program install method thereof"
2) When you've found the 100 or so patents your program-to-be infringes, get a deal with all the inventors. (If some of them are slippery, you can probably "invent around" their claim in a couple of months)
3) Pay IBM for not starting a lawsuit you can't afford
4) (Minor step) Write your program
5) Sell it (hoping you won't be victim of a submarine patent)
6) PROFIT!!! (for your lawyer)

Nahhh, on the other hand, just drop developing, and become lawyer yourself (or take advantage of our generous social system, if being a "productive member of the society" is not your cup of tea)

1) Make sure you don't infringe patents, like
"Use of hyperlinks in a computer program for an automation application and programmed computer for such an application"
"Method and system including a server, client-terminal, computer and computer program, delivering sound data"
"A computer system and a program install method thereof"
2) When you've found the 100 or so patents your program-to-be infringes, get a deal with all the inventors. (If some of them are slippery, you can probably "invent around" their claim in a couple of months)
3) Pay IBM for not starting a lawsuit you can't afford
4) (Minor step) Write your program
5) Sell it (hoping you won't be victim of a submarine patent)
6) PROFIT!!! (for your lawyer)

Nahhh, on the other hand, just drop developing, and become lawyer yourself (or take advantage of our generous social system, if being a "productive member of the society" is not your cup of tea)

Thanks to xyote for pointing this out:

"Even IBM doesn't own it. It's in the public domain. Because it was invented by IBM 3 times (hey, it's a big company). Once in the mid 80's in VM/XA Rel 2 (patent 4,809,168 now expired), once at Sequent which was acquired by IBM and where RCU was coined, and once as part of the K42 project at IBM research."

Gee, MY car burns hydrogen! What are you waiting for?

My car runs on hydrogen, which is bound by carbon so it isn't so gaseous. C8H16 or so (chemistry was a long time back). Or did you mean ``uses a fuel cell which burns H_2''? I'd like something like that too; the current technology has too many moving parts. I'm not holding my breath.

While we're talking bluesky stuff, here's something interesting: tapping the vaccuume energy. The guy's got a patent, and claims that he'll be producing commercial quantities Real Soon Now (TM).

Note: the first link above has more information and additional material. The research was sponsored by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland.

Your suspicion of secret back doors are not off the mark. If you familiarize yourself with the upcoming security technology from Microsoft, called Palladium or more recently NGSCB, you will find that backdoors are likely to be mandatory in it. Furthermore, such backdoors in crypto-processors are already patented, see for example the patents ep1059578 Secure backdoor access for a computer or us5970246 Data processing system having a trace mechanism and method therefor.

Note: the first link above has more information and additional material. The research was sponsored by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finland.

Your suspicion of secret back doors are not off the mark. If you familiarize yourself with the upcoming security technology from Microsoft, called Palladium or more recently NGSCB, you will find that backdoors are likely to be mandatory in it. Furthermore, such backdoors in crypto-processors are already patented, see for example the patents ep1059578 Secure backdoor access for a computer or us5970246 Data processing system having a trace mechanism and method therefor.

One more for you... Dog Nappy

However, in the rest of the world, things are somewhat different. For example, for other countries than US, the US assignee is the applicant and is printed on the publication of the patent application. This cannot be hidden (you can only hide the names of the inventors, when they agree).

So, instead of using the USPTO database, you use the search engine of the EPO, Esp@cenet. For Japan, there's the JPO.

You just search for microsoft as the applicant. Europe 288, Japan 293. Then, you search for Horvitz in Europe as applicant: no result. Same for JPO.

Next, I have searched for Horvitz in the EPO database and checked the applications with inventor Horvitz, without a criterion for applicant. All Eric Horvitz are with Microsoft.

My conclusion is therefore, that Microsoft does not file stealth stuff in Europe.

The number of applications in the US might be more, since some European patent applications claim priority of multiple US & PCT applications.

Just as well, I recommend the Esp@cenet search engine anyway; it cover the world instead of just the US.

The article mentions that this fellow has applied for a patent last thursday. Guess what? There's no mention of the patent on the Irish Patent office website or the European patent office website or WIPO website.

Searching Irish Patent Office:

Query :
Application Date: 08/01/2003 -> 10/01/2003
Abstract: *internet*
Results: 0

Query :
Date Of Grant: 08/01/2003 -> 10/01/2003
Abstract: *internet*
Results: One Result: 2000/0717 82661 Server-based electronic wallet system

Thats it, so it doesn't seem he applied for the patent in Ireland then...

P.S. The stars around "internet" are mine, I used them to indicate that I searched all abstracts that contained the word "internet"

I lead the security group at the laboratory, where I hold a faculty post as Reader in Security Engineering.

I don't think Andersson is, as you suggest, biased against TCPA / Palladium and certainly not "heavily biased" (see Bill Arbaugh's comment below). His analysis does however point out very serious consequences of the TCPA / Palladium infrastructure. The consequences are what they are, Anderson just made a very good job in formulating them.

He is far from alone in his view on TCPA / Palladium. In fact, Bill Arbaugh, one of the inventors of TCPA (US patent 6,185,678 here), has second thoughts. His comment on Anderson begins:

We are all aware of the criticisms that the TCPA has received. Ross Anderson did a good job of explaining the problems in an abstract fashion, but I felt that there were some things left out (Privacy concerns).

By the way, trustedcomputing.org does not allow the general public to view the member list anymore. You can however see one list of 170+ member companies in Lucky Green's presentation below (links from http://www.cypherpunks.to/:

The slides from Lucky Green's DEFCON X talk, Trusted Computing Platform Alliance: The mother(board) of all Big Brothers, are now available in the following formats:

• PowerPoint (309k)
• PDF (511k)

Other resources with much information are:

• http://www.notcpa.org/
• http://cryptome.org/

It's already patented in the USA, UK, Europe-wide and is on sale in USA and Britain.
You can't patent things which other people have (well, you shouldn't be able to, anyway.)

It's already patented in the USA, UK, Europe-wide and is on sale in USA and Britain.
You can't patent things which other people have (well, you shouldn't be able to, anyway.)

Despite what the article says, the cat flap was not connected to the 1000 Megaton orbiting nuclear bomb, it just happened to be mentioned in the same patent. It was actually the cat who suggested the idea for the orbiting bomb, as part of a plan to reduce the price of tinned cat food.

The full patent is here.

Interesing NASA patent application that involves thrust:

Link. (Life will be much easier if you have pdf reader integration in your browser.)

Abstract:
An assymetrical capacitor module for generating thrust includes two conductive elements of similar but different geometries seperated by a dielectric member. Improved embodiments provided in the construction of conductive elements of smaller axial extent include those where the element is formed by an annular wire or a dielectric supported ring. Other embodiments concern the dielectric member and involve change in the extend and shape thereof.

why don't they warm the toilet seat for those cold winter days.

There isn't a lot of information in the New Scientist article.
There should be more info in the patent

You never answered my question (though you did point out some items I may not have been so aware of). I was curious as to whether Jamie with his "inside track" would be in a position to provide his own speculation as to whether the anti Software Patents lobby has a hope, or whether we have already lost the battle. I am concerned that it appears my quadrant of the world (Europe) is as stupid as Jamie suggests and I now ask Slashdot for any good sources of information so I can start to educate my local politicians (in Ireland). I recently enjoyed the experience of stumbling into a Eurpoean Patent Office stand at a conference here in Dublin though unfortunately I the person who could even begin to address my concerns was a patent examiner for chemicals and I only got about 15 minutes of his time because it was the end of the day. What he told me left me seriously disturbed for days and to be honest I still am. The only reassuring thing he had to say was that they realise the USPTO are idiots and that if someone doesn't register for a patent in a way that covers Ireland within one year of applying for the patent anywhere it is fair game!

The EU is preparing changes for the patent laws. If you are a European, please help us inform the citizens. To help inform we intend to make a free film explaining the problems. The film will be available via the Internet. Read more about this initiative. As we have so far been focused on turning the Danish oppinion most of our stuff is in Danish. We need your help to change this.

For an english talk on software patents listen to RMS in India.

Eurolinux also have some stuff in english.

The EU is preparing changes for the patent laws. If you are a European, please help us inform the citizens. To help inform we intend to make a free film explaining the problems. The film will be available via the Internet. Read more about this initiative. As we have so far been focused on turning the Danish oppinion most of our stuff is in Danish. We need your help to change this.

For an english talk on software patents listen to RMS in India.

Eurolinux also have some stuff in english.

The EU is preparing changes for the patent laws. If you are a European, please help us inform the citizens. To help inform we intend to make a free film explaining the problems. The film will be available via the Internet. Read more about this initiative. As we have so far been focused on turning the Danish oppinion most of our stuff is in Danish. We need your help to change this.

For an english talk on software patents listen to RMS in India.

Eurolinux also have some stuff in english.

The EU is preparing changes for the patent laws. If you are a European, please help us inform the citizens. To help inform we intend to make a free film explaining the problems. The film will be available via the Internet. Read more about this initiative. As we have so far been focused on turning the Danish oppinion most of our stuff is in Danish. We need your help to change this.

For an english talk on software patents listen to RMS in India.

Eurolinux also have some stuff in english.

Our patent image archives include US, EPO, WIPO, British, French, German, Japanese, and Swiss patents. The patents are distributed in the hyper-compressed CPC format, which averages only 1/6th the size of the legacy TIFF or PDF files used by other services. This means that the images download 6 times faster. And, all of the patent pages are distributed in a single file. This means you can print, copy, or email the entire document with a single command.

If you are interested, you can register for a free 5 patent guest account by visiting http://www.GetThePatent.com/Subscribe/?Topic=Guest .

Alternatively, the EPO offers free access to all US utility patents issued since 1920. The patents are distributed as single-page PDF files. Non-utility patents are not available.

I have spent hundreds of hours searching the www.patents.ibm.com website. By operating the website IBM generated a lot of goodwill, which is defined as the favor or prestige that a business has acquired beyond the mere value of what it sells. I guess goodwill isn't worth what it used to be.

see espacenet for the European patent-office stuff. The interface is a bit stupid, but anyway.

Just a guess, but I think IT is a personal two-wheeled version of the iBot. Here's his most recent patent application: PERSONAL MOBILITY VEHICLES AND METHODS You have to look internationally for patent information, folks. Transmeta had published patent applications on-line fully detailing all of their inventions 9 months before the news 'broke' on slashdot, etc.

Here are some more I found...

Integrated Auction for remote online bidders and live participants at an auction site
Information presentation and management in an online trading environment

I got this from the website of the European Patent Office

cheers
mike

Here are some more I found...

Integrated Auction for remote online bidders and live participants at an auction site
Information presentation and management in an online trading environment

I got this from the website of the European Patent Office

cheers
mike

here's the direct link FYI. Ah, god bless Mac's URL embedding! :)

Pope

Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!

So, Linux and Windows NT (just to name two of them) must be violating this patent, right?

It's publication date is 1995, March 22th. Okay, we can debate about which OS classifies as the first multitasking system - probably Multics which was 'invented' in 1965, 30 year earlier!

(I am not sure that Multics is actually the first since I'm not that old yet ;)

Looks like someone beat you to it. This patent about A method for fulfilling requests of a web browser seems to be indicating any dynamically created web page.

Oops.

Someone should teach the patent guys about job security and self preservation.

forge

But hey, being nevertheless stung by the lack of acquired Karma, I thought I'd submit the following gemettes of data, since apparantly my previous more generic argument failed to sway the AC

As the story relates, a complaint has been made in the UK Parliament about the dilatory nature of US justice, which appears to be acting in the interests of US big business and against that of a UK pipsqueak company. The original complaint can be found by searching for "Allvoice" at the URL http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/ cgi-bin/empower?DB=ukparl (which URL, for some strange reason, is not accepted by /. as a valid link. Probably they're merely the soft face of US Hegemony, eh?). There's about a couple of pages of the Member of Parliament providing chapter & verse on the slings and arrows that have outraged the patent holders.

It all relates to teeny tiny Allvoice, who when they're not inventing the future are happy to dash out, screwdriver in hand, to fettle your fallen-down PC. Not a business renowned for making fortunes, so unsuprising they're feeling the pinch taking on US big business

Allvoices patents, which are the McGuffins in this episode, are available for inspection here but you'll have to use the bottom of the three search boxes on the left side to search for "Allvoice", since I cannot be bothered to list the six patents individually. You can get to a PDF of the full patent in each case.

None of which has anything to say about the price of bread, for which I refer you to my previous post.

They`ve also applied for the patent in Europe (EP0889421) and Australia (AU6991598) as well as worldwide (WO9857276). The application no. is EP19980304651 19980612. As far as I can tell, these haven`t (yet) been granted.

This I got from esp@cenet, which holds a searchable database of the last two years of patent applications from several countries.