[openstandaarden] [Fwd: [JDEV] Microsoft Patenting IM Translation]

[Mattias Campe]

FYI:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [JDEV] Microsoft Patenting IM Translation
Date: Fri, 4 Jul 2003 10:08:35 +0100
From: Richard Dobson <richard at dobson-i.net>
Reply-To: jdev at jabber.org
To: <jdev at jabber.org>

Microsoft Patenting IM Translation?
http://slashdot.org/articles/03/07/03/1759201.shtml?tid=155&tid=99

Looks like we might not be able to do this now.

Richard

-----------------------------------

In de jdev thread hebben ze het dan over "prior art" waarop iemand 
reageert met:

<quote>
Actually the patent office looks for prior art to form the foundation 
for a new patent..  The example noted on Slashdot is Exactly what the 
patent office and patent attorneys looks for... Google providing 
translation of webpages, etc. before transmission to client.   MS looks 
to build on that to do translation of IM text before transmission.  The 
prior art here is foundational for MS' patent.  It doesn't matter if the 
idea has merit or isn't very practical (as in translations using Babel 
Fish aren't exactly A+ work).

But if the item being patented isn't substantially different or an 
improvement in some aspect of the prior art then it is not a valid 
patent.   The real point is you need lots of dollars to contend against 
them.
</quote>