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Patent absurdities are plain unsporting
Talkback The scandal isn't that Microsoft applied for a patent on C# to XML conversion when this wasn't a new idea; the scandal is that the application succeeded. The responsibility for ascertaining whether a patent should be granted lies with the patent...
[May 31, 2005, 20:43]
Eolas case rehearing demanded
News The panel's reading greatly expands the extraterritorial application of US patent law, intruding on the sovereign rights of other nations, obviating the need to secure foreign patent protection, and placing US companies at a disadvantage with...
[March 23, 2005, 9:05]
Microsoft strengthens HTML patent with Eolas
News Although some may see it as ironic that Microsoft cites the Eolas patent among its references, lawyers say this is necessary as part of the disclosure procedure, which should include anything known to the patent applicant or the lawyers...
[October 11, 2004, 16:55]
Patent directive slammed at UKPO workshop
Talkback The patents directive will not have the benefitial effects that the Patent Office and the EU Commission think it will have. Only large companies can afford to play the patent game. Whatever the outcome of a case the only winners will be the lawyers...
[April 18, 2005, 22:22]
Microsoft patents widely used IM feature
News The rush to patent elements of IM underscores the application's popularity and potential. Microsoft has won a patent for an instant-messaging feature that notifies users when the person they are communicating with is typing a message.
[October 8, 2003, 8:34]
Dell loses 'cloud computing' trademark bid
News In other words, as cloud-computing consultant Sam Johnston said in his blog on Friday, Dell failed in its application because the patent officers understood cloud computing to be a simple, generic concept.
[August 18, 2008, 15:38]
W3C applauds Microsoft 'reprieve'
News At the district court proceedings, the company had claimed that Doyle, when he filed the patent application originally, had misled the US Patent and Trademark Office by withholding information about the Viola browser.
[March 3, 2005, 7:15]
Experts cast doubt on Microsoft's patent claims
News Because of the wilfulness issue, the expense of searching patents and the difficulty of actually understanding them: "It's gotten to the point where most software application developers cannot plausibly say they've conducted complete patent...
[May 16, 2007, 16:50]
'Gphone' rumours hit fever pitch
News It's likely the Gphone will be advertising-supported, given that the company has filed a patent application for advertising-supported telephony, Arnold said. According to patent filings, Google is aiming to allow the phone to become a virtual...
[October 25, 2007, 12:24]
Microsoft frowned at for smiley patent
Talkback Furthermore, the USPTO examines every patent application and if an invention has been done prior, it will not be allowed and/or the claims will be narrowed to this specific invention. I hope everyone understands this is only for CUSTOM emoticons...
[July 26, 2005, 17:52]
European Patent Office scotches appeal for review
News According to legal website Out-law.com, the president of the EPO, Professor Alain Pompidou, who has the power to order an enlarged board of appeal, has written to Jacob and the UK Patent Office saying that there is an "insufficient legal basis...
[March 22, 2007, 8:35]
Steorn's free energy seems curiously expensive
Talkback As an American, I'm working up my Photon Patent application right now). Thanks for this, I was caught up by the ad in the Economist and the Steorn web site, but reading your article brought me back to my senses.
[August 25, 2006, 11:43]
Patent directive slammed at UKPO workshop
Talkback If the claimed patentable process is a purely software application or business method it is not patentable (the original intent of the patent laws). Surely this "tinkering" is closer to what you want, unless you wish for not patents on anything?
[April 12, 2005, 13:47]
Porn goes public
News The United States Patent and Trademark Office has consistently refused to award Parisi's company rights to use the Whitehouse trademark. Lawyers for Whitehouse.com have resubmitted an application for trademark registration, including Media Metrix...
[October 14, 1999, 10:26]
Microsoft suit alleges ex-worker stole trade secrets
News Mullor also said he applied for his patent in 1998, it was issued in 2002 and in 2003 he approached Microsoft and discussed the "benefits Microsoft could realise by using it", but Microsoft wasn't interested.
[February 2, 2009, 16:43]
Minnesota and Microsoft verge on antitrust agreement
News In addition, Microsoft has settled a number of high-profile patent infringement cases, including ones launched by InterTrust and AT&T. Microsoft on Monday reached a preliminary settlement with consumers in Minnesota to end an antitrust suit that...
[April 20, 2004, 9:20]
Open source comes of age
News For more, click here.attack from smaller patent-holding firms demanding large sums. This month saw BlackBerry maker RIM shell out over $600m over a software patent litigation case. That means even independent software innovations are subject to the...
[March 13, 2006, 17:10]
CA brings more patents to the open source party
News CA also urged other technology companies to help create a "patent commons". The US patents, which include their equivalents in other countries, address a range of technologies, covering application development, data analytics and systems management.
[September 8, 2005, 8:55]
Flash rivals to create USB drive standard
News The immediate goal of the companies' strategic collaboration and patent cross-licence agreement is to grow the market by creating a standardised platform that third-party developers can use to deliver flash-based applications for enterprise and...
[September 7, 2004, 16:15]
Segway bids rocket on Amazon
News The HT, formerly known as Ginger and IT, garnered tremendous hype when details of the device leaked out through a book proposal and patent application in January 2001. Online retailer Amazon.com and Segway kicked off an auction Tuesday for three...
[February 20, 2002, 9:23]
