> -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Liotta [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 2:32 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: Re: No so good news > > > If it were still available as a stand-alone application - which it > > would > > pretty much have to be - it would still be covered by the patent as it > > would be automatically launching executable code from a hyper-text > > environment. > > > The patent specifically refers to plug-ins and not technology directly > built into the browser.
The patently specifically referrers to (in small part): "A method for running an application program in a computer network environment, comprising: providing at least one client workstation and one network server coupled to said network environment, wherein said network environment is a distributed hypermedia environment;" The Patent actually NEVER refers specifically to plug-ins. You can read it here: http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&; p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1='5838906'.WKU.&OS=PN/5838906 &RS=PN/5838906 > > MS stands to lose just as much (potentially more) as anybody in this: > > should they lose much of their technology also becomes suspect: OLE, > > COM, ActiveX, .NET and so forth. This would mean rebuilding not just > > IE, but also potentially Office, all of their reference products > > (Encarta, Streets and Trips, etc) ALL of MSN and all of the properties > > under it (MSNBC, CarPoint, Expedia, TerraServer, etc), it also seems > > that any VBA-enabled hyper-text applications would fall into the realm. > > > Again, the patent only covers plug-ins used from within a browser. > Please read it for specifics at to what is covered. I did read it. The summary states: "This invention relates generally to manipulating data in a computer network, and specifically to retrieving, presenting and manipulating embedded program objects in distributed hypermedia systems." No mention of plug-ins at all. Although "browser" is mentioned it specifically in reference to a "hypermedia" system - which can include much more than a traditional web browser. This such a file-system browsers, database browsers and so forth can be included if they are based on hypermedia concepts. As long as the system first displays "a first distributed hypermedia document to identify text formats..." and then specifies in said text format "at least a portion of an object external to the first distributed hypermedia document" then it's covered by the patent. This covers much more than Web Browsers and Plug-ins - especially since so many applications (especially reference applications) use the same model as web browsers. > I belief your analysis is incorrect based on a misunderstanding of what > the patent covers. Then we're even. ;^) Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=t:4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm
