Microsoft Word Ban Postponed, Stays On Shelves For Now

@appletoad: "The injunction prohibits Microsoft from selling or importing to the United States any Microsoft Word products that have the capability of opening .XML, .DOCX or DOCM files (XML files) containing custom XML"

A patent on opening XML documents which containing customizations?

WTF?!?!?

@appletoad: With all the BS patents people are able to file, it's kinda hard NOT to infringe upon at least one of them.

Of course, MS is known for there BS patents so this is sort of payback on them for patenting such things as 'Page Up'.

Werd.
Silly courts, Microsoft doesn't obey laws!

Code? I always thought that the bird was the word...

B.Zanetti

@SnowingCookies: America, **** yeah!

@Keeter: Open Source is not above the law, and can just as well be sued by this "Company".

The problem is more that it is a very general patent that makes no sense, and they always sue them in Texas, because it is the biggest chance they'll get what they want.

But instead of sueing the community they would sue the people giving support for OpenOffice.

Dehnus

So, anything other than MS getting shut down by using XML? That's crazy.

Let's just all switch to an open-source equivalent to XML and be done with this patent-on-common-technology-for-profit... bull crap.

@ttech10: MS patents alot, but they have yet to really sue someone over a patent infringement.

So it isn't payback, they just protect themselfs from lawsuits with this by pattenting alot. WHich in itself is a ludicrous thing, but apearantly it is needed.

Dehnus

@B.Zanetti: Haven't you heard?

CarbonFiberFootprint

@CarbonFiberFootprint: Heard about what?

unless the code was straight up lifted, I would say the concept of being able to sue for rather obvious codes and concepts is utterly ridiculous.

I hate these little rat companies pulling this patent garbage when they have an unsuccessful product.

dcartist

@Dehnus: I think you misunderstood Keeter. He said to use an open-source equivalent to XML, not to use an open-source program that utilizes XML. This way anyone who wanted to could use this equivalent regardless of whether their own product was open source or not.

yeti

Tech companies encourage employees to submit patent disclosures by paying sizable bonuses for them. The last company I worked for, I made about $20-$30K/year from patent awards (most from submissions; only about 10% were actually patented). The reason companies value patens so much is that the royalties generate significant revenue and patents can be used as bargaining chips or traded like commodities.

@SewerShark:

...
And here's an interesting Wiki article on the subject of patenting software: [en.wikipedia.org]

@Dehnus: Except for the whole tom tom Fat32 thing. Microsoft looked like it was going to go after everything that uses flash memory (digital cameras etc.) for a while there.

I been try to follow it, but I can't figure out why they're suing. How can someone sue for using custom XML. There's lots of programs that let you customize XML. Why are they only going after Microsoft.
Isn't RSS feeds xml that you can customize, Can't you also make your own custom xml for your own website.
This whole case needs to be thrown out, doesn't make any sense.

You really Excel at closing write-ups with clever endings, Mr. Allen. I was wondering, since you have such writing prowess, if you could help me find a Publisher for my new book. Its about how having a positive Outlook can help grant Access to untold millions, and help you find your Groove in life. I have been keeping OneNote here, and one note there, but I will pull it together soon. I just need to focus on my Project, learn some more Accounting, and buy a new Communicator.

Thanks for your help, Mr. Allen. I do appreciate from the bottom of my Microsoft Office.

I mean heart. Damn, so close. ;)

@Colonel Jack O'Neill: I was kinda wondering the same thing. I've used XML some to encode info in tables to be read by Flex applications. It looks like any other encoding scheme to me. I mean, companies that make HTML editors don't get sued because the editors output HTML in different formats. I don't see how you can patent a standard file format maintained by W3C or patent how you use it.

Word.

@whiteknight89 still plays DiabloII: Do you need an Illustrator for your book?

@SudarshanaPhoenix: But Word lets you write in all caps if you want.