Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft's Decade-old Patent On Tree-view Mode!

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the weekends-are-fun dept.

BhaKi writes "Remember the Tree-View mode in many file management applications? It's shocking to know that this omnipresent feature was patented by Microsoft back in 1995 (granted in 1997). I'm not very sure about the implications, though. The patent is so general that it can be related to many things from tree-mode to virtual filesystems. Check out claim no. 3 of the patent for the most clear part."

9 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. This infringes on my 1992 patent... on trees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I patented trees in general in 1992. I'm going to sue.

    1. Re:This infringes on my 1992 patent... on trees by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Reminds me of a old joke:

      One day a group of Darwinian scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one Darwinian to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.

      The Darwinian walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no
      longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just get lost."

      God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the Darwinian was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the Darwinian happily agreed.

      God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old
      days with Adam."

      The Darwinian said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

      God interrupted, saying, "Hold it. You go get your OWN dirt!!"
                 

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    2. Re:This infringes on my 1992 patent... on trees by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. - Carl Sagan

      Hell of a way to frighten away potential wives. No wonder nerds have problems in that area. It's like the dating couple admiring horses galloping in the sunshine, when the geeky guy turns to the girl and says, "You know, the purpose of a horse's tail is to keep flies off of its anus." Date over.
         

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  2. Why do people link ad-laden patent sites? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    You can get patent results ad-free from Google or straight from the USPTO.

    1. Re:Why do people link ad-laden patent sites? by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      I notice that many of the flowchart illustrations are purely linear; no branches or loops. Why bother with a flowchart for such? Just do a text step list of the common kind:

      1. Collect panties
      2. Make a web-site about collected panties
      3. Put Google Ads on it
      4. Profit!

      (List for illustration purposes only. Profits not guaranteed. Collecting panties risks lawsuits and may pose an environmental hazard.)
         

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  3. Slashdot's in trouble by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hell, its vague enough to cover slashdot's hierarchical nesting message view. Pay up, slashy!

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  4. Midnight Commander and Ztree by myspace-cn · · Score: 5, Informative

    Thank god for mc and ztree

  5. Nice... by Jaysyn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have to give MS kudos for not using this patent offensively.

    --
    There is a war going on for your mind.
  6. Prior art anyone? by ncog · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's so much prior art here it's not funny. For example, Executive Systems first published XTree for DOS (later XTreeGold) in April, 1985. It was the absence of this functionality in MS/DOS that make the functionality so popular. This is just another example of how the software patent system is truly messed up and needs (and hopefully will get) a serious overhaul.