Intellectual property Toolkit
Story: Microsoft frowned at for smiley patent
Posted by: Richard (Saturday 23 July 2005, 10:27 PM)
I wondered how this differed from what a lot of open source software does - even the old Emacs mail reader - translating smileys into pretty pictures. The "novelty" if it can be called that is the customisation, though I wonder whether things like the old XFaces system could count as similar. (That was good when it was popular). XFaces embedded the image in the email header.
This is typical of the bad software patents that don't protect a true invention but in this case a whole product feature. They're not as bad as the whole problem domain patents - things like the patent on e-commerce - but its not much better.
Now of course, if the patent covered the specific implementation of how the original image is to be fetched, along with cache consistency handling, but then again such an implementation would be protected under copyright.
Patents in the physical world are more like copyright in that they cover a specific implementation. Software patents just cover the idea of the problem.
Full Talkback thread
Story: Microsoft frowned at for smiley patent
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That language parsing patent's only technical aspe... Trevor Simms -
Perhaps Microsoft should apply for copyright... Dave Stover -
Microsoft did think the internet would grow to wha... robobright
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This is the kind of shit I want to keep out of Eur... Samuel,UK
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Well said, Samuel,UK
wasn't there somthing ab... JhonSmith
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Microsoft is dead. Software Patents are dead. The... Still Balates
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Screw Microsoft. Actions like these are why the te... Joey A.
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I wondered how this differed from what a lot of op... Richard -
The item you link to is a patent application, not... Anonymous
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What's next? Microsoft attempts to patent fonts an... Last Angelman
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that sort of shit gives me a microsofton! kapster
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I think Microsoft is lacking talent, thats why the... Anonymous
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A true technical innovation (not)
At first I thoug... Anonymous
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PRIOR ART -- what Microsoft is patenting has alrea... Randolf Richardson
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If microsolf truly does patent this, I hope that a... Anonymous
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... for me just another very good reason to defina... Lothar Velling
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Dont the patents office have some form of prosecut... Tony
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Is it April 1 ? John Sims
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Huh, say what? If a technique has been used "widel... Michiel NL
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Hey, I think I'll just patent the alphabet and mak... Anonymous
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Of course as usual the article writer and anti-M$... Jason M. Knight
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The primary claim for the patent application... Ingrid Marson
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The first claim must be read as a whole.... Tom Olszewski -
The problem is the US patent laws. They are simply... Beast
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A couple of points regarding the article post... Lonnie E. Holder
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Another commentor stated that pharmaceutical... Lonnie E. Holder
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I agree with Microsoft !!!! Apple sucks Anonymous
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Microsoft can patent smilies? Oh, I forgot. Micros... Kinney
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I think it's crazy, trying to own everything. Inte... Anonymous
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so patent for using FONTS will be next...
after al... Dustie
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Wtf, those guys are gonna make us change the names... Adam
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This has been up for consideration for a year and... Nik
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Gee. I can include whatever image in whatever mes... Arthur B.
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hahahahahahahhahahahahaahahaha omg...
this will in... d34d
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One of my forefathers invented the kiss and fart.... Ken Davies
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SH**! I just realised that Microsoft may be able t... Ken Davies
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Can't blame them for doing something that the gove... Peter Ritchie
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It seems that people are continuing to miss t... Lonnie E. Holder
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Microsoft,
please please don't ty this.
Yahoo use... Anonymous
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Well back in 1968 I did create a 'Smiley Face' bad... Chris Dunne
