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What's really worse about this patent...
Eolas did not invent the concept of the browser having a plugin capability. Web browsers were designed that way with interfaces that allowed their functionality to be extended in any way imaginable. Software in general has been designed with "plug-in" architectures for a long time -- well before web browsers were born. What this patent seems to do is cover the concept of providing a plug-in capability for browsers only and then using it in the manner for which it was intended to be used. In other words, they have a patent that covers proper (not original) software design solely with respect to browsers and what you can do with that design.

So plugin architectures for software were not invented by Eolas, and browsers were not invented by them either, but they can claim to have invented the use of a popular software design technique applied to software they did not invent.

Geez, what's next? Patenting the process of purchasing something online with one click?
Posted by: Taz_z   Posted on: 10/31/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Getting worse every day for MS (NT)  mabricen | 10/31/05
You realize this affects ALL browsers?  java.user | 10/31/05
You are crazy!  An_Axe_to_Grind | 10/31/05
Are you sure?  Patrick Jones | 10/31/05
Yes  java.user | 10/31/05
and no  IT_User | 10/31/05
Ironic  java.user | 11/01/05
no irony  Scott W | 11/01/05
as expected  andrewflagg@... | 10/31/05
You're kidding, right? this is one EVERYBODY want MS to win  John Zern | 10/31/05
Well, perhaps not everybody...  Yen_z | 11/01/05
Wrong!!!  Update victim | 11/01/05
Supreme Court won't review Microsoft patent appeal  Loverock Davidson | 10/31/05
Don't lose hope!  tic swayback | 10/31/05
Ashcroft & Jackson  mighetto | 10/31/05
Don't lose hope!  tic swayback | 10/31/05
And someday ZDNet will get their Talkbacks working properly...  tic swayback | 10/31/05
Riiiggghtt... and when that happens  Linux Advocate | 11/01/05
Microsoft not alone  Yensi717 | 10/31/05
not really  ickusslime@... | 10/31/05
No.  java.user | 10/31/05
I stand corrected  Mark Miller | 10/31/05
New alias?  Cardinal_Bill | 10/31/05
I'm usually against Microsoft.....  Sir_Chancealot | 10/31/05
What's really worse about this patent...  Taz_z | 10/31/05
Microsoft should have acquired  bjbrock | 10/31/05
Patent Office is taking care of it.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/31/05
I hope so  Patrick Jones | 10/31/05
Really?  ShadeTree | 10/31/05
There is a more recent update on this...  dsentman@... | 10/31/05
No_ax's link was from 2 years ago  Mark Miller | 10/31/05
Yeah, it did look a little fishy  IT_User | 10/31/05
a PTO re-re-re-review is always good  andrewflagg@... | 10/31/05
How Do You Spell Microsoft?  itanalyst | 10/31/05
Will it make your day when...  John Zern | 10/31/05
A bit of a misnomer  Mark Miller | 10/31/05
Actually...the article appears to be correct  Mark Miller | 10/31/05
Software patents  Hemlock Stones | 10/31/05
Government trying to get more money out of microsoft.  igl1221_123 | 10/31/05
Um..  Patrick Jones | 10/31/05
Did they ever get more money than the multibillion TAX BREAKs? I wish  michael_t | 10/31/05
Patents???  mavedrive | 11/02/05
ROFL!  Kamikaze_Ohka | 11/02/05

What do you think?

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