Microsoft Deems Emotiflags Patent-Worthy

theodp writes "Microsoft said you could count on them to improve patent quality. For an example of how they're raising the bar on innovation, check out this just-published patent application for Emotiflags, which Microsoft explains solves the problem of indicating an emotion associated with an email message. At the risk of infringing on the patent, this one Makes Me Mad!"

Comments

Re:Grounds for patent?

[Crouching Turbo]

This is just an application, it's not a patent yet.

That started on AOL in about 1992

[ciscoguy01]

Those emoticons made from parenthesis and colons started on AOL in about 1992.
Remember Bill Gates's first book, which "ignored the internet"?
The idea that Microsoft invented any such thing is preposterous, and if the USPTO lawyer drones actually issue such a patent it will completely prove how totally clueless they are.
We always knew it, but this will PROVE IT. I actually hope they do, because it will bring to light the importance of the REAL reform that is needed at USPTO.
Even congress will recognize it.

Sort of confirms "Microsoft Adrift' hypothesis

[plopez]

One part says 'We're going to be reasonable about patents' while another department is patenting everything they can think of.

It's typical of a large corporation to do this, where one part of the company has no clue what another part is saying or doing.

Microsoft has become an 'old style' organization.

recently???

[sholden]

[0002] Emoticons are graphical icons such as "", or textual representations of graphical icons such as ":-)". Emoticons have become very popular through instant messaging applications, and their use has recently expanded to inclusion in email messages. For example, a user may add a smiley face emoticon after a funny sentence in an email message. Emoticons are typically designed to represent an emotion or feeling.

"recently", "expanded". I don't think so.

Patenting the Obvious

[mpapet]

Is now mandatory.

Check the number of patents on the back of that gift card you just bought as a gift. Fancy corners? Got it's own hang tag? All patented and litigated recently.

The good news is I've patented emoting with ascii characters. :) ;) ;/ ;\ :/ :\ I'll be back for my royalties in 2007!

Nobody should be able to....

[Joce640k]

Nobody should be able to add a modified header of an existing flag to an SMTP envelope and patent it.

It's not a case of "should", we all know the patent office thinks any patent with the word "computer" in it is novel and deserves the filing fee.

eg. A quality Microsoft patent Another quality Microsoft patent

Re:pwned

[theLOUDroom]

Technically, I think it is trademarked, not patented. 2 different things. I have no clue what the implications may be however.

I would suggest that a registered trademark would be pretty clear documentation of prior art.

yet another attempt to lock out Linux...

[advocate_one]

by patenting the processing and display of a custom header in the email header, they are trying to get an arm lock on preventing any Linux email client from using this header field to display the emoticon or to put it there in the first place...

this is basically a stripped down usage of X-Face, using just an "emoticon" to make it less obviously so.

Re:emotiflags

[glwtta]

You understand the difference between inventing something and coming up with a random new word to describe something that already exists, right?