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Microsoft Applies to Patent RSS in Vista

Posted by Zonk on from the don't-jump-the-rails-just-yet dept.

Cyvros wrote in with a link to Wired's Monkey Bites blog, which is featuring a post on Microsoft applying for a patent on RSS. As the article points out, this isn't as crazy as it seems at first blush. From the wording of the application, post author Scott Gilbertson interprets their move as a patent on RSS only within Vista and IE7. From the article: "The big mystery is what Microsoft is planning to do with the patents if they are awarded them. The sad state of patent affairs in the United States has led to several cases of Microsoft being sued for technologies they did arguably invent simply because some else owned a generic patent on them. Of course we have no way of knowing how Microsoft intends to use these patents if they are awarded them. They could represent a defensive move, but they could be offensive as well -- [self-described RSS inventor Dave] Winer may end up being correct. It would be nice to see Microsoft release some information on what they plan to do with these patents, but for now we'll just have to wait and see whether the US Patent and Trademark Office grants them."

5 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Wheel by aedan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Patent on the wheel can't be long in coming.

    1. Re:Wheel by jinxidoru · · Score: 5, Funny

      Patent on the wheel can't be long in coming.

      That would save the trouble of having to re-invent it.

  2. That is not patent for RSS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I quick read the application through. It is more about a system that aggregates RSS content further to other applications. Think of refactoring your RSS reading application into background daemon and sending the content via D-Bus to all subscribers. Something like that but it is definitely NOT a patent application for RSS itself, the main article is ignorant and written by someone really stupid.

    I'd mod the main article as -1: Troll if I could. It's just anti-microsoft FUD.

  3. Re:Oh Yeah?! by leeosenton · · Score: 5, Funny

    but them Apples don't even use 8.3 file names...

  4. Re:Who has Microsoft actually sued by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Who has N. Korea actually nuked? Actual cases and not the 'OMG they might nuke us' screeching please.