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Microsoft Patents XML Word Processing Documents
theodp writes "Embrace. Extend. Patent. On Tuesday, Microsoft was granted US Patent No. 7,571,169 for its 'invention' of the Word-processing document stored in a single XML file that may be manipulated by applications that understand XML. Presumably developers are protected by Microsoft's 'covenant not to sue,' so the biggest question raised by this patent is: How in the world was it granted in light of the 40-year history of document markup languages? Next thing you know, the USPTO will give Microsoft a patent for Providing Emergency Data in XML format. Oops, too late."
Maybe because you didn't bother to actually read the patent and are going on the inaccurate summary?
99% of the people on slashdot seem to be completely ignorant of how patents actually work, yet aren't afraid to criticize them based on their lack of understanding. You're one of them, most likley.
Patents have to be taken as a whole, for all the claims.. not just one or two of them. Yes, nearly all patents are based on other patented or non-patented ideas, it's the combination of claims that make it unique.
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Patent Office, IRS, Post Office, Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Security, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA ...
Now, who out there wants to add government run health care to that list?
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
Fuck you and fuck Microsoft. This is about stupidity of the USPTO.
On the other hand, maybe it isn't stupidity. Lots of dough at Redmond to throw around.