Apple patents button-free mouse
,----[ Quote ]
| The new mouse does not have a scrolling ball or wheel.
`----
http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/d805653303cbbba8/id/248345/cs/1/
I've recently used one of these. It's bizarre, but should be trivial to
manufacture. Time for less patents.
TiVo Awarded Patent For Password That Is So Hard To Guess It Will Outlive
Your Hard Drive
,----[ Quote ]
| Between their trademark filings, their patent applications and
| their aggressive open market acquisitions, TiVo has managed to
| build a very impressive intellectual property portfolio around
| their technology.
|
| [...]
|
| TiVo was issued a patent for a method of locking down hard drives,
| that involves creating a password, that is so hard to guess, it
| would take longer than the expected life of your hard drive for
| someone to crack.
`----
http://davisfreeberg.com/2007/05/10/tivo-awarded-patent-for-password-that-is-so-hard-to-guess-it-will-outlive-your-hard-drive/
Related and recent:
Did Microsoft just patent sudo?
,----[ Quote ]
| 1985, huh? And when did this Microsoft patent happen? It was filed in
| 2000. Well gee, that doesn't make sense. How'd they get the patent?
| It certainly falls under the category of "obvious" if there's prior
| art such as sudo.
|
| What makes this whole thing funny, though, is something I saw a couple
| days ago. Head over to Builder-AU and listen to Peter Watson from
| Microsoft. He says,
|
| "User Account Control is a great idea and strategically
| a direction that sort of all operating systems and all technology
| should be heading down"
|
| Excuse me? Does he really believe this is all Microsoft's great new
| idea?
|
| In the end, this seems like a patent that Microsoft will hold up and
| say "we have a patent and Linux is violating it!" They won't ever
| sue on it though (just leave the threat hanging to scare away
| potential users), because then they could have the patent revoked.
| It's better for them to just wave it around.
`----
http://ubuntulinuxtipstricks.blogspot.com/2007/05/did-microsoft-just-patent-sudo.html
Analysis: Less patent shield for code
,----[ Quote ]
| Clearing the way for wider worldwide distribution of computer
| software code, and saving Microsoft Corp. millions of dollars in patent
| damages, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that it is not illegal to send
| Windows code abroad for copying and installing in foreign-made computers,
| even if the code incorporates a part of someone else's patented invention.
`----
http://www.scotusblog.com/movabletype/archives/2007/04/analysis_less_p.html
Supreme Court to Patent Appeals Court: Drop Dead
,----[ Quote ]
| Then the justices cupped their hands astride their mouths and
| shouted in unison: Fewer patents!
`----
http://legalpad.blogs.fortune.com/2007/05/01/supreme-court-to-patent-appeals-court-drop-dead/
http://tinyurl.com/23lwp9
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