Re: [Protux-devel] XML being patented by Microsoft

[Eduardo Pimenta]

   For what I've seen, it's not XML that is being 
patented, but the idea of keeping a word processing
document as an XML file. Specifically for word
documents - they want to assure Word monopoly. 

   I don't think this has impacts in Protux, since
XML is still a W3C standard; though I agree this is
an ugly move.

  See news below.

    Regards,

 Eduardo Pimenta - still without internet @home

http://www.asiaosc.org/article_180.html

 Microsoft patents XML for word processing.
Posted by: ImranWilliamSmith on Friday, February 06,
2004 - 08:57 AM 
 
 Open source can help lower costs by eliminating
monopolies. But one way to hold a monopoly is to own a
software patent, legally preventing others from
creating software with the same function.

Many are worried that Microsoft intends to do just
that - to use software patents as a weapon against
open source software. 

The most recent example is that Microsoft is patenting
the 'idea' that you could store a word processing
document in a single XML file - they have patented
this idea in New Zealand, and now in Canada (see the
patent, read the news article at theinquirer.net). 

XML is a methodology of storing data. To store a word
processing file using this method is, many would
argue, somewhat obvious, just like XML could be used
to store an address book, a spreadsheet, etc. 

But by patenting this idea, however obvious, Microsoft
creates the risk of a legal battle. For example,
OpenOffice.org currently uses several XML files to
store a word processing document. If OpenOffice.org
wishes to adapt this in future to use a single XML
file, they may have to battle the Microsoft patent.
Although they may feel likely of success, it's still a
risk, and still costs lawyers fees, a cost many small
open source projects cannot afford. 

So what's the solution? Many, such as the FSF,
campaign against software patents and anybody who uses
them (see here). 
Or perhaps the solution is that patent offices should
be reformed, to only grant patents on true inventions?

 
 
 
 
--- Luciano Giordana <address@hidden>
wrote:
> Please guys , if you hear any confirmation of this,
> let me know, so I can 
> change the schema files format to something
> not-xml-like.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> -- 
> Best Regards
> --
> Luciano Giordana
> Free Software Developer / Musician
> Project Protux : Professional Audio Tools for
> GNU/Linux
> http://www.nongnu.org/protux
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Protux-devel mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://mail.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/protux-devel


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