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Microsoft Copies Idea, Admits It, Then Patents It

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the we'll-take-that-too dept.

An anonymous reader writes "BlueJ is a popular academic IDE which lets students have a visual programming interface. Microsoft copied the design in their 'Object Test Bench' feature in Visual Studio 2005 and even admitted it. Now, a patent application has come to light which patents the very same feature, blatantly ignoring prior art."

3 of 333 comments (clear)

  1. US Patent #1 by Propaganda13 · · Score: 4, Funny

    That reminds me of this game.
    http://www.cheapass.com/products/boardgames/cag034 .html

    Eureka! You've just invented time travel.
    But the awful truth is that you're not alone.
    In fact, scientists have been inventing time travel since 1814.
    But if you have a time machine, it really doesn't matter who invented it first. All that matters is who gets to the Patent Office first.
    And by "first" we mean on opening day. Because nothing suits a time machine like U.S. Patent 1.

  2. Re:Sick Software "Patents" by Phisbut · · Score: 4, Funny

    how do they react to "Windows is shutting down"?

    I react very positively to that. "This nightmare is over" is usually my thought.

    --
    After 3 days without programming, life becomes meaningless
    - The Tao of Programming
  3. Re:Sick Software "Patents" by Haeleth · · Score: 5, Funny

    in the US we consider a corporation to be a "corporate personhood". So a corporation is practically indistinguishable from a person under our laws.
    Actually, there are many differences:
    • Corporations cannot be sentenced to death or sent to jail. Humans cannot be ordered to be split up.
    • Corporations do not have the vote.
    • Corporations pay different taxes.
    • Corporations cannot hold passports or driving licenses.
    • Corporations cannot marry or adopt children.
    • Corporations do not have to have been incorporated for 21 years before they are permitted to purchase alcohol, nor do they have to have been incorporated for 14-18 years before they are permitted to screw their customers.