Slashdot Mirror
Company Claims Patent Over XML
Aviran Mordo writes "News.com reports that a small software developer plans to seek royalties from companies that use XML, the latest example of patent claims embroiling the tech industry. Charlotte, N.C-based Scientigo owns two patents (No. 5,842,213 and No. 6,393,426) covering the transfer of 'data in neutral forms.' These patents, one of which was applied for in 1997, are infringed upon by the data-formatting standard XML, Scientigo executives assert."
Yikes, that is some scary shit!
actually unlike patents, trademarks must be defended. If someone infringes on your trademark and you do nothing about it you will loose the ability to enforce that trademark this is part of trademark law and has happend in the past (kleenex, band-aid, q-tip, many others) who never defended thier trademark brand and ended up loosing it.
Every no and then youll see big corp X go after little guy X because the little guy is using the same name. Everyone screams bully but the fact is, it that they must make the effort or they loose the right to the trademark alltogether.
"Don't mess with him, he taunts the happy fun ball."
The patent also explicitly states "non-hierarchical". And XML is definitely hierarchical in just about every way.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.