Microsoft Researching Patent Law with New Experts

wikinerd writes "According to The Register, Microsoft seeks to hire new patent experts. In their words, patent experience itself "is helpful but not mandatory" and advance knowledge of patent law is not required. The applicants need only be Computer Science or Electrical Engineering PhD holders, without any qualification in law. They will be involved in prior art search, patentability research and technical analysis. The article outlines some of the most controversial MS patents, such as online bill payment."

Comments

patent expert need not be familiar with patent law

[de1orean]

in other news, war is peace, hate is love, and microsoft ROXXORZZZZZ.

heh

[sandstorming]

And soon microsoft shall hold patents to errors, bugs, patches and security updates.

Help Wanted Ad

[bigtallmofo]

"Microsoft, the world's largest software company is seeking all manner of Patent Attorneys with Freakin' Lasers on Their Heads to assist with plans of world domination."

Killer Patent Idea

[CheeseburgerBlue]

"Application for a patent that covers the act of patenting software intellectual property."

That that, logic!

Re:When will we say "enough"?

[Anonymous Coward]

I didn't know the logarithm market was so cutthroat, I mean, who even knew there was a logarithm market? Base e, by the way?

yuppers...

[radiumhahn]

looks like the classic "If you can't work with them then work around them" trick. 2nd only to "If it aint solved throw more money at it."

I can do that job

[peragrin]

I promise not to look for prior art or question the validity of any mouse click you want patented.

I wont be bothered to see if anyone else is even trying to do something similar, and will push to patent using keyboards to input data, using a pen on the screen to push objects, and even patent running software on something called a processor.

Re:1st

[Anonymous Coward]

And you seem to have the same skillset as the current Patent people..

Pre-exisiting posts..! ;)

Re:What's the big deal?

[CosmeticLobotamy]

Come on, we've all sold ourselves during job interviews as being "fast learners."

Oh. Is that what you guys have been doing? That's so much better than the "I'm the best an asshole like you is gonna be able to get," that I've been using.

I fail to see...

[catdevnull]

I fail to see how this differs from any of their own in-house attitudes towards patents, prior art, or the property of others.

It's kind of like the Mafia putting out an ad that looks like this:

Wanted: Large, ugly males of Italian/Sicilian heritage.
Duties include helping proprietor(s) enforce business agreements.
No business degree/experience required.