Microsoft Assembles Patent Arsenal for Longhorn

stock writes "The heat is on. Inside eweek.com are some remarkable articles: 'You see, Microsoft is busy patenting everything it can lay its hands on with all three. In fact, Microsoft is now building up its patent arsenal, applying for a rather amazing 10 patents a day. The idea isn't to ensure that Microsoft makes a fair profit from its patents; it's to make sure that no one else can write fully compatible software.' An older article mentions some other patents."

Comments

Re:the evidence that the day is coming is mounting

[jkabbe]

Of course patents don't give you the right to produce something.

Many other regulations (environmental impact, etc...) factor into whether you are allowed to make something.

For instance, you are perfectly allowed to patent a new invention which can only be produced in a way which produces highly toxic waste. Without appropriate permits and disposal plans you will not be allowed to produce your invention.

The only possible point of a patent (or having a system of patents) is to limit what others can produce. Where is the -10, What are you talking about? moderation button?

Re:Couldn't resist...

[sterno]

Microsoft == Monopoly
Apple != Monopoly

You do the math. Being anti-competitive isn't illegal unless you are a monopoly. Nobody cares about Apple because it's easy to choose something other than Apple. It's not easy to choose something other than Windows and it's getting harder every day.