[Pwn]

My recent PC Pro Newsletter had an article about how Microsoft is court ordered to stop selling MS Word due to XML copywright infringement. Has anybody seen this and what do you think about it? Is this just somebody trying to make some money off the giant and why is XML copywrighted? Isn't it a protocol used on nearly every modern computer? Wouldn't XML be like public domain? I've never heard of anybody else being sued over it.

I've never really understood all the copywright bs. I mean, something like XML would likely be created by an standards association and not a company or individual. On top of that, the people who are trying to enforce their copywright never seem to pursue it unless there's money involved. I mean, seriously, if you're going to enforce it, enforce it at all times. To me, this is greed personified and blatant. Where's the consistency? Where's the ethics?

Quick Edit: Further reading on this tells me Microsoft isn't the only company affected, it would include any software that is based on XML, which is pretty much all the Office Suite makers, even Open Office. Microsoft had the biggest pockets which is why they are in court. Canadian company i4i is coming out with an office product of their own, and has owned the patent on XML since 1998. They had no problem with other's use of XML until they decide to profit on it. All of a sudden, they have a product and a lawsuit? I'd be willing to bet their product was thrown together in the past year, when they started feeling the effects of a lagging economy. I can just hear somebody in a boardroom saying, Microsoft will keep us afloat.

Who are the REAL pirates?

This post has been edited by Pwn: 15 August 2009 - 07:04 AM

[GWatt]

from reading this article i understood that i4i is claiming that using an xml file to present/edit data is an infringement of some patent they hold.
pwn, i agree that this is probably just a play for money/notoriety.
the fact that a federal judge agrees with i4i complicates the matter.
i don't know how many companies use sgml, but the outcome of this trial could be pretty devastating, especially if i4i gets trigger happy.

[xCraftyx]

That's bullshit, so many applications use XML; Pwn I agree with you they shouldn't be able to patent technology that has become public domain. God damn Canadians just wanted money from somebody. Hope Microsoft wins their appeal if and when they have one

This post has been edited by xCraftyx: 15 August 2009 - 10:14 AM

[Tom9729]

They don't have a copyright on XML, that doesn't even make sense. What they have is a patent which is a very different thing...

[kewlkreator]

That's retarded. Damn, that's bs.

[KYA]

Yeah, I think its retarded.

[BetaWar]

I have a hard tim believing this (though it very well could be true). If it gets to the point that Microsoft can't sell work, lets see... I believe PDF uses XML to store data, as does iTunes, etc. That will pretty much put some companies out of business....

[kewlkreator]

How the hell am I supposed to write documents??? This is messed up.

[Tom9729]

BetaWar, on 15 Aug, 2009 - 01:42 PM, said:

I have a hard tim believing this (though it very well could be true). If it gets to the point that Microsoft can't sell work, lets see... I believe PDF uses XML to store data, as does iTunes, etc. That will pretty much put some companies out of business....

I'm fairly certain that PDF is not an XML format (open it up and look for yourself).

However the patent in question is very ambiguous and could cover a lot of things besides XML.

This whole thing is very ironic considering Microsoft generally supports software patents and recently sued a company for violating patent(s) related to their FAT filesystem.

[LostPunisher]

Yeah, it's quite honestly bull crap.

[NeoTifa]

Word sucks anyways. Works or gtfo. I've said that since I was like 10.

[xclite]

Two problems at work here.
1) The patent office grants patents without doing research. They're overworked and understaffed. Somebody recently tried to copyright MMORPGs. Obviously there is prior art here, and thankfully somebody at the patent office noticed that and denied it. Same thing happens all over the technology realm.

2) Judges in Texas notoriously often rule in favor of the plaintiff in copyright cases. That's why you always hear about these cases taking place. I think in this case, a Canadian company is suing Redmond-based Microsoft - in Texas? Yes, so they had a guaranteed win.

[KYA]

NeoTifa, on 18 Aug, 2009 - 05:41 AM, said:

Word sucks anyways. Works or gtfo. I've said that since I was like 10.

You actually like Microsoft Works?

[firebolt]

Interesting, but how major is this?

[NeoTifa]

@kya, yes, I do. Word is cheezy and can't do shit.