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Microsoft Patenting Office XML Formats

Posted by michael on from the uh-oh dept.

mmurphy000 writes "News(.com)+ reports that Microsoft has filed for patents in multiple jurisdictions to control the way other applications use Office's new XML-based file formats. Musings from pundits suggest that OpenOffice.org and other applications might be blocked from interoperating with Office. This, of course on the heels of today's article on Bruce Perens' concerns over patents."

6 of 455 comments (clear)

  1. They can patent file formats now? by corebreech · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Did I miss a memo, or is this a truly sinister precedent? It suggests that every kind of application will now be able to patent the way it saves data, thereby denying others the opportunity to import data from that file.

    It also destroys what was the entire rationale for XML, doesn't it? What's the point of a convenient medium through which information may be exchanged if everybody starts patenting their DTD's?

    Brace yourself for the next version of DOM/SAX/XPath that not only checks to see if the document is well-formed and/or valid, but that also constrains your access to that document based on some new kind of hybrid between DRM and XML Schema.
    UnauthorizedAccessException: You do not have the credentials necessary to access attribute 'bar' of element 'foo'. Your IP address has been logged.

    It's shit like this that makes me want to get out of computers and get into chemistry.
    --
    Is this truly the only Earth I can live on?
    1. Re:They can patent file formats now? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 5, Insightful
      "I think it's going to be a non-issue, legally. I just don't think the patent will be accepted," he said. "This is Microsoft doing its aggressive best to protect its interests. [Sam Hiser of OpenOffice.org]"
      Mr. Hiser seems to have a rather poor grasp of the US legal and patent system. No doubt he knows how it is supposed to work.

      1) In the real world, you can file for a patent on literally anything, and it will often be granted no matter how ludicrous. With patents on one-click shopping, patents on putting a small trackball on top of a mouse, and patents on swinging sideways on a swing (I kid you not), Microsoft will have no problem winning a patent on XML data from Office.

      2) Once they have been granted the patent, good luck fighting it in court. No matter how silly the patent actually is, and no matter how much prior examples there are of applications sharing data with XML, I think you'll have a hard time fighting off Microsoft unless you have exceedingly deep pockets.

      This is wrong on so many levels... They are effectively forbidding you to manipulate your own data! Office documents are not like the Office application. Hell, they are not even like 'rented' data which you have licenced (as the MPAA would claim is the case with DVDs). Microsoft owns Office, but I own the documents I produce, and I reserve the right to do whatever I want with the data in them!

      It has always been difficult to read such data into applications other than the one used for authoring. This has so far always been a technical issue (and one associated with many products, not just Microsoft's). Now, Microsoft will effectively make it illegal to use non-Microsoft tools to interpret the data. For me, this is another important point to take to management, if and when they will consider alternative products.
      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  2. Closed for openess open for business by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    they make it xml so its open and easy to work with for developers... now they want to try and make it only the developers that pay them $$ ?

  3. We planned to make use of the XML from Word... by Psiren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... and we still will, regardless of these patents (which I haven't even bothered to read about). It's my fucking data, and I'll do what the fuck I like with it thank you very much.

  4. Cross platform? by kellererik · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Based on this article even the latest M$Office on the Mac can't read all files from its WinDOS sibling.
    Bottom line is, if you want to avoid a lock-in a.k.a. pay to view your own documents if you decide to stop using M$ Software, don't start using the 'new' M$Office in the first place.

    my 2 cents

  5. Monopoly abuse by kmonsen · · Score: 5, Insightful
    If this is not monopoly abuse I don't know what is. Remeber office is a major reason for people to buy windows and a major part of MS income.

    The bottom line is MS technology should not be used in any way, and we should not belive a bought department of justice will do something about it.

    This may sound paranoid but is unfortunatly true. Once you are stuck with MS products they may change the license for new versions as they see fit. If it were not for Linux, Windows would be really expensive today.