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Microsoft Seeks Latitude/Longitude Patent
theodp writes "Q. What does Microsoft feel is unpatentable? A. Apparently nothing! On Thursday, the USPTO published Microsoft's patent application for the Compact text encoding of latitude/longitude coordinates, in which the software giant explains how a floating-point number can also be represented as a less-precise integer that's displayed in base-30 notation!" If ever I have seen a silly patent, this is it.
The thing about Microsoft and patents is that they file them defensively, not offensively.
Don't you think the title is a little trollish? I get it, already. MS is evil. But they're not going to deploy interceptors to stop ships using LAT/LON coordinates while out at sea.
Wait... maybe they will...
If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
You must be new to this country.
Tomorrow, they'll add an amendment to that patent saying that they own the location of that coordinate too, and if granted, Microsoft will own any piece of land they want. MS: We own this coordinate. Linus: But this is my house. MS: Not anymore. Linus: I'm homeless :-(.
> But in fact, it seems to claim every base greater than 2
All your base are belong to us!!! (SCNR)
Idiot Puts Entire Post In Bold, Annoys Slashdot, Steals 5-Year Old Joke from Segfault.org.
(sheesh, the arrogance displayed on Slashdot knows no bounds)
Sheesh, the lack of humor displayed on Slashdot knows no bounds.
Infuriate left and right
It's 10 digits and 26 letters, minus 6 vowels "to avoid the possibility of the algorithm inadvertently generating real words that could be offensive". Funny.
B00BZB4BY.
"Pretty sure the US Patent Office has a say in what is and isn't patentable."
Oh really? I beg to differ. I've come across a couple fun examples recently
Method of Swinging on a Swing.
Gee, I wouldn't have thought of that one! I think I heard somewhere that this patent was granted to a 5-year-old? 0_o
Method of Exercising a Cat (with a laser pointer...)
Here's a nice little read on the US Patent System that was in IEEE Spectrum a couple months ago. The US Patent System sucks ass
So you see, the US Patenting Office appears to patent just about everything. Oh no, I hope they haven't patented my favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches...!
Patent 5,567,454
Patent 5,855,939
Patent RE37,275
OH NOES!!!!
Hero of Allacrost, a FOSS RPG for *NIX/*BSD/OS X/Win
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
This sig is false.
I would like to know of a single instance where a patented "truly useful novel algorthim" was a boon for the software industry.
Every patent I am aware of has only been used for litigation.
(oh, you must mean for the legal industry)
Yeah? Well I think you're overrated too.
I'm a software patent attorney, and I truly believe that allowing patents for truly useful novel algorithms is a boon for the industry. ...
As long as Microsoft's choices of technologies to patent remain befuddled, it won't be able to tap the true, strong, monopoly-cementing power of software patents.
So wait. You think that the "monopoly-cementing power of software patents" is "a boon for the [software] industry"?
Or did you mean they were a boon for the software-patent-attourney industry?
Come on, it's legitimate, it is innovation that supports their trademarked slogan. ;)
B1LL G4T3S 1S A C0CK SM0K3R
(Tee hee hee)
Since you can't read:
Holy shit "black pages" I didn't know you were a higher authority than both a published Dean and a published Professor at Harvard. I'm totally putting you on my "friends list" because you are the obvious expert when it comes to patent law and its intersection with Economics and Business.
While we're giving full disclosure, what are your credentials? They don't appear to be listed on your user profile.
Read Heinlein's 1953 Revolt in 2100, now more than ever.