Re: Microsoft patents XML based script automation?
On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 01:19:40 -0500, Noel J. Bergman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: See: http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3312091 Patent: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtm l/search-adv.htm&r=9&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=ptxt&S1=Microsoft.ASNM.&OS=AN/Microsoft& RS=AN/Microsoft Does anyone have any idea how this would effect Ant, Maven, Jelly, JSP and other technologies that use XML to describe scripting? For that matter, would James' use of XML to configure matchers and mailets into a mail application be considered scripting? We have posted examples of using Sieve scripts within an XML CDATA block. It is hard to see Ant being affected as its publication precedes the filing date for the patent, if that is relevant. Not sure about the other projects. The patent seems pretty silly to me. I would argue that it fails even the most basic novelty test for a patent, but IANAL, of course. Also the patent seems to be narrowly focused as it mainly seems to cover "a method for facilitating the identification and selection of the one or more scripts for execution" IOW, collecting scripts into an XML file as opposed to using XML as a scripting system. Ant's
Re: Microsoft patents XML based script automation?
--On Friday, February 13, 2004 6:28 PM +1100 Conor MacNeill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: It is hard to see Ant being affected as its publication precedes the filing date for the patent, if that is relevant. Not sure about the other projects. FWIW, in the US, it is first to invent not first to file. So, if you want to challenge this patent, you need to produce prior work dating before their invention date. -- justin - To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Microsoft patents XML based script automation?
Le Vendredi, 13 fév 2004, à 07:19 Europe/Zurich, Noel J. Bergman a écrit : See: http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3312091 ... Does anyone have any idea how this would effect Ant, Maven, Jelly, JSP and other technologies that use XML to describe scripting?... Doesn't prior art invalidate such patents? "Systems, methods and data structures for encompassing scripts written in one or more scripting languages in a single file" does not sound *that* innovative here ;-) -Bertrand - To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Microsoft patents XML based script automation?
> Doesn't prior art invalidate such patents? > "Systems, methods and data structures for encompassing scripts written > in one or more scripting languages in a single file" does not sound > *that* innovative here ;-) Nothing about it sounds innovative. In terms of prior art, what about http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-XFDL from 1998? The USPTO is turning patent filing into a race to patent the obvious any time a new format or medium comes along. A early comment by the judge in the Eolas v Microsoft case was that the prior art related to LAN technologies, and Eolas' technology was for the Internet. --- Noel - To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Microsoft patents XML based script automation?
On 13 Feb 2004, at 07:28, Conor MacNeill wrote: On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 01:19:40 -0500, Noel J. Bergman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: See: http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3312091 Patent: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/ netahtm l/search-adv.htm&r=9&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=ptxt&S1=Microsoft.ASNM.&OS=AN/ Microsoft& RS=AN/Microsoft Does anyone have any idea how this would effect Ant, Maven, Jelly, JSP and other technologies that use XML to describe scripting? For that matter, would James' use of XML to configure matchers and mailets into a mail application be considered scripting? We have posted examples of using Sieve scripts within an XML CDATA block. It is hard to see Ant being affected as its publication precedes the filing date for the patent, if that is relevant. Not sure about the other projects. here's the patent: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/ netahtml/search- adv.htm&r=9&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=ptxt&S1=Microsoft.ASNM.&OS=AN/ Microsoft&RS=AN/Microsoft ant is not really immune. patent law is stacked towards the patent holder. even if ant does not infringe, FUD about ant's file format would be enough to send shivers through a lot of companies using ant. the only way to stop the FUD would be to find a way to challenge the patent. IMHO (with the usual i'm not a lawyer stuff) it seems to me to be a patent about a particular file format (a class of xml documents). it's ant builds scripts which include calls to scripting languages which may become patent encumbered. if this is the case, then it's the date that ant introduced the particular tasks that would be important. could we think asking the US patent office to reconsider the patent application on the following basis: 1. prior art (ant - so long as ant supported scripting in other languages before 2000) 2. it's very, very, very obvious (using an attribute to describe which scripting language should be executed? that's something that even an absolute novice would have thought up when presented with the problem!) this is the tactic being used by the W3C and appears to be having a good degree of success at raising awareness of the problem. there is a (growing) chance that the US legislature may well look at addressing this issue so long that enough good example of harm can be provided. software patents encourage innovation? don't make me laugh! hahaha - robert - To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Microsoft patents XML based script automation?
On Sat, 14 Feb 2004 09:08:59 + robert burrell donkin wrote: > software patents encourage innovation? don't make me laugh! > hahaha Let's laugh! Join in the laughter! .. singing "Yellow *Submarine*" :) - Tetsuya Kitahata -- Terra-International, Inc. E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.terra-intl.com/ - To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
