Tom, you should have looked at this a bit further. The M$ patent is more for a graphical interface used in the M$ utility to adjust user privileges; similar to UNIX's sudo - but M$ cannot patent sudo. Your source is crummy. This was settled on better tech sites yesterday.
Thank you, Mark Snyder -----Original Message----- I pass this on with no comment. http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390 "Lordy, lordy, lordy. They have no shame. It appears that Microsoft has just patented sudo, a personalized version of it. "Here it is, patent number7617530. Thanks, USPTO, for giving Microsoft, which is already a monopoly, a monopoly on something that's been in use since 1980 and wasn't invented by Microsoft. Here's Wikipedia's description of sudo, which you can meaningfully compare to Microsoft's description of its "invention". "This is why what the US Supreme Court does about software patents means so much. Hopefully they will address the topic in their decision on Bilski. Sudo is an integral part of the functioning of GNU/Linux systems, and you use it in Mac OSX also. Maybe the Supreme Court doesn't know that, and maybe the USPTO didn't realize it. But do you believe Microsoft knows it? "Perhaps Microsoft would like everyone in the world to pay them a toll at least, even if they don't want to use Microsoft's software? Like SCO, but with more muscle behind the request? Or maybe it might be used as a barrier to competition? What do you personally believe Microsoft wants patents on things like sudo for? To make sure innovative new companies can compete on an even playing field with Microsoft? ************************************************************************* ** List info, subscription management, list rules, archives, privacy ** ** policy, calmness, a member map, and more at http://www.cguys.org/ ** *************************************************************************
