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Microsoft's Virtual Skywriting Patent App Features the Real Thing

Posted by timothy on from the sounds-like-a-creative-children's-story dept.

theodp writes "GeekWire reports that Microsoft this week was awarded a patent on something it calls 'virtual skywriting', an augmented reality service that adds fake skywriting to scenes captured on a cell phone screen. Odd enough in its own right, but Microsoft also included an unattributed photo in the patent application which it described as 'an example of virtual skywriting in use,' although it certainly appears to be identical to a famous image of actual skywriting from a 2001 public art project. If that turns out to be the case, could the self-described opponent of half-baked patents and IP misuse find itself in hot water with the USPTO for using the 'prior art' to fake its fake skywriting?"

6 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Hell yeah, by Brummund · · Score: 3, Funny

    let's award a patent for adding text to an image. Sometimes I wish Mr Franklin had been given a perpetual patent on electricity, which he chose to not license out.

    1. Re:Hell yeah, by RazzleFrog · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The patent is for the system of how to add fake images that appear to look like skywriting to an existing images - both text and graphics. The idea is to take an existing photo or text and automatically modify it to look like skywriting. If there is no current application that does this then based on current standards that is a legit patent.

      Mr. Franklin didn't invent electricity - he discovered it. You can't patent electricity anymore than you can patent water.

      Either way, it looks to me like they were giving an example of how it would work. You don't have to have the system working in order to patent it. Their choice was just a poor one.

  2. I might be missing something but... by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How is this "prior art"? Surely if anything it would be misrepresentation and copyright infringement, but real skywriting doesn't constitute prior art for a computer app which fakes it...

  3. Maybe that's the point? by king+neckbeard · · Score: 2

    That it looks so much like a real photo may be the point in proving how well it works, although I would imiagine it's very difficult to recreate that entire scene.

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  4. This is Ballmer's idea by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 2

    Of cloud computing.

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  5. Re:This is a great idea by ozmanjusri · · Score: 5, Funny

    If this patent gets granted, only those that get licensing from MS can do it. So not all.

    And that's fair enough too.

    Who else has so much experience with blue screens and white text?

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."