No they're not.

Post #284,690 by Andrew Grygus 5/15/07 3:38:37 AM Reply	No they're not. They will try to scare a few companies into giving them protection money, but as a convicted abusive monopolist they have to watch their step even there - they could easily be sued for casting a cloud over someone else's business. Meanwhile SCO has caused the FOSS community to hone it's claws. Microsoft says they can't reveal the patents because FOSS would retaliate - in other words they are fully aware their patents don't stand a chance if challenged. A system is prepared to find prior art and another system with counter-patents. Groklaw will expose every attempted deception to the light of day. And the Supreme Court has just pulled the rug out from under "trivial" patents. And should things get tight for Linux, waiting in the wings is a very large blue company that has a lot bet on Linux. This large blue company has a "significant" team of very polite, very patient, but very persistent and insanely competent lawyers, popularly known as the Nazgul. And more patents than God. I do not doubt that Microsoft's lawyers have nightmares about this large blue company pulling out a patent covering "Using a computer to write software programs". [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #284,696 by folkert 5/15/07 7:36:52 AM Reply	Yes. Except... In your recent response: And more patents than God. I do not doubt that Microsoft's lawyers have nightmares about this large blue company pulling out a patent covering "Using a computer to write software programs". That patent is going to be more along the lines of: "Using a computer in ON mode vs OFF mode." or "A computer reads 1s and 0s as defined by God." both being Circa 1960. One can only hope. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* `PGP key: 1024D/B524687C 2003-08-05 Fingerprint: E1D3 E3D7 5850 957E FED0 2B3A ED66 6971 B524 687C Alternate Fingerprint: 09F9 1102 9D74 E35B D841 56C5 6356 88C0`
Post #284,711 by Andrew Grygus 5/15/07 11:02:37 AM Reply	There's only so deep they can go . . . . . because logic gates were invented by, and named "gates" by, one Nikola Tesla, who was not employed by a large blue company at the time. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #284,719 by folkert 5/15/07 3:34:09 PM Reply	That would be the OTHER Big Giant Corp not being MS... in the Patent World. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* `PGP key: 1024D/B524687C 2003-08-05 Fingerprint: E1D3 E3D7 5850 957E FED0 2B3A ED66 6971 B524 687C Alternate Fingerprint: 09F9 1102 9D74 E35B D841 56C5 6356 88C0`
Post #284,739 by Ashton 5/15/07 10:09:31 PM Reply	"logic roots in weaving loom" gets 500k hits And a 'gate' could well be a ~equivalent concept, re separating weft from warp - starting with Jacquard. Seems to me that - digital logic just may prove the undoing of the whole 'pseudo-science of the law'[Fred Rodell, Harvard Law Sch.], via the focus on patents: the arbitrariness of "expected lifetimes" of "inventors" VS overall societal costs (perhaps relating that 'cost' to premature deaths .. even of ... the little kiddies.) Not that bipeds are any nearer to achieving scale and relativity, or facing this humongous muddle of duelling interests, as an ingredient, say -- in all this, 'let's keep the temperature down!' (mere survival stuff.) We are soo funny. Pi to a trillion places / and a shitty public health delivery system / then, The Hum-Vee as 'status symbol'. I can't wait for the debate on origins of [link\|http://www.fibtex.lodz.pl/absten47.htm\| fuzzy logic]. cf. "Velocity Control of Weft Insertion on Air Jet Looms by Fuzzy Logic"
Post #284,728 by tonytib 5/15/07 7:42:32 PM Reply	Remember that anti-trust trumps patent A company can be stopped from enforcing its patents or have strict limits put on how it licenses them if it violates anti-trust law. For example, see Rambus. --Tony
Post #284,737 by folkert 5/15/07 9:48:46 PM Reply	Hasn't stopped Microsoft from Biatchin' about Samba. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* `PGP key: 1024D/B524687C 2003-08-05 Fingerprint: E1D3 E3D7 5850 957E FED0 2B3A ED66 6971 B524 687C Alternate Fingerprint: 09F9 1102 9D74 E35B D841 56C5 6356 88C0`

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