The World According to Nick |
My take on Software, Technology, Politics, and anything else I feel like talking about. |
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
That's Not Obvious?Granted I'm not expert in patent law (read this as a general disclaimer about me not being a lawyer), but this recently awarded patent to Microsoft regarding email addresses as objects seems to be not enforceable on its face (H/T to /.):
I say this because a patent must cover something that is not obvious. What is described above ought to be obvious to anyone who knows anything about object oriented programming. The first thing a person would do when designing an email software system using object oriented techniques is to do exactly what is described above. Any kid in college who has a software design assignment would do this. Come on... give me a break. You guys have made some great software over the years... but not because you invented some grand wheel nobody could have thought of. You've just been very good at making and selling a wheel. I wonder what kind of people work at the USPTO that this made it through. Obviously not someone who knows the first thing about software. And if they aren't employing anyone there who knows anything about software, should they really be granting patents in that field?
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About Me
Name: Nick Home: Wauwatosa, WI, United States I'm a Software Consultant in the Milwaukee area. Among various geeky pursuits, I'm also an amateur triathlete, and enjoy rock climbing. I also like to think I'm a political pundit. View My Profile Archives
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