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Apple Patented by Microsoft
An anonymous reader writes "C|net is reporting that Microsoft received a patent on Tuesday for a new variety of apple tree. U.S. Plant Patent 14,757, granted to Robert Burchinal of East Wenatchee, Wash., and assigned to Microsoft, covers a new type of tree discovered in the early 1990s in the Wenatchee area, a major commercial apple-growing region. Dubbed the 'Burchinal Red Delicious,' the tree is notable for producing fruit that achieves a deep red color significantly earlier than other varieties. It is sold commercially as the 'Adams Apple.'" Apparently, the assignation of the patent to Microsoft was an error. Or so they would have us believe ...
...this is a joke, right? Seriously, if the patent office is given out patents for naturally growing TREES, something is wrong.
Speaking of plant patents: Which patented plant are they smoking at the patent office.
Good for him/her, if you spend all your time scowling at Microsoft your face will freeze that way. Ya gotta smile from time to time. :)
Sun patents the Moon, news at 11...
Unfortunately, in order to eat this apple you're going to have to have two mouths, 350 teeth, and the stomach the size of a small child.
The Human Cow - bringing you scrumtrelescence since 1995
A Microsoft representative confirmed that the assigning of the patent to the company was a mistake..
The article does go on to discuss the huge inventory of legitimate tech patents that Microsoft has and how they plan to license more of same.
But the software giant has been a prolific patent generator in other areas. The company embarked on a campaign late last year to generate more revenue from its patent portfolio, offering to license widely used inventions such as its ClearType font technology and FAT storage format.
I think that the writer thought "Microsoft patenting Apple" was a humorous intro to Microsofts rather deep pile of patents.
Happy Trails!
Erick
http://www.busyweather.com/
I knew the patent office was slow, but dang. April Fools day was over a month ago...
Apple (AAPL) registered a patent for a new device designed to transmit radient energy from the sun from outside houses to the interior of the house, using 4 glass pieces affixed in a wooden frame. Apple calls their new development a "Window". Apple stock finished up 1/2 to wind up at 26.65
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
MS Air, the most breatheable air you can find arround
That would be their next bold move.
Does this mean I should expect the blue sky of death?
This is exactly why we should take a serious look at whether the United States should have a patent office at all.) required something governmental to effectively reward the researcher.
The original concept of the patent system was fine in an era or rural agriculture and home shops. The economics of Perfect Competition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_competition
Today that is quite different.
The small, lone inventor is now a myth because 1) research on technical things (Software Patents aside, those are just bad period.) is done now by large universities and businesses who only can license other technologies and pay the research. 2) the patent application system is prohibitively expensive for any small player. Furthermore, so many applications are filed a year, the office spends about 17 hours an application. 17 hours is not enough to have a generally education person (not even necessarily someone in the field) to take a serious look at the invention. The only way one can compete with a patent is through cross-licensing one technology for another which allows the companies in competition to produce the same product. That makes the patent system moot to all but those entering the market, who get screwed.
The argument goes on, but for the sake of briefness I'll cut it off there at a gross generalization.
Why, for the sake of God's Green Earth, can anybody claim a patent on something that has grown in the ground, DISCOVERED (not invented), and not researched. I don't care, quite frankly, who discovered it, I want to know if there was any human invention in its creation. If there isn't, the patent system has failed on a fundamental level because it's. Not. An. Invention.
Are there any nations with sane copyright, patent, and other laws?
"When corrected that money does not in fact grow on trees, but rather on bushes and shrubs"
Would that be a microsoft hegemony?
"hedge o money"?
nevermind.
"I forgot my mantra."
...but then I got hungry.
With 800,000,000 patents day they just assume it's for MS and then sort it out after, it actually saves money that way.
I would like to contest that it was I and I alone who invented the apple tree and as such I will be suing.
Yeah, like you've got any lawyers up there.
Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
I suppose that explains all the holes in the ozone...
They make me all jangly inside!
Oh Come on, at least I didnt say "Imagine a beowolf cluster of these"
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Why eat pomegranate seeds when you can simply devour the soul-eating MS Burchinal Red Delicious Apples!
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