XPost: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy, alt.os.linux, alt.conspiracy   
   XPost: alt.windows   
   From: root@localhost.localdomain   
      
   The Foole and His Monkey Soon Partied wrote:   
      
   > Now any US company using a variety of clicks to launch different software   
   > functions from the same button will have to change their product, pay   
   > licensing fees to Microsoft or give Microsoft access to its intellectual   
   > property in return.   
   >   
   > British company Symbian, which makes operating systems for mobile phones   
   > that employ double clicks and has offices in the US could be affected, as   
   > could PalmOne in California, which supplies PDA software.   
   >   
   > Several activists who oppose software patents say that Microsoft's patent   
   > is not a "sensible use" of the patenting system because the idea of the   
   > long, short and double clicks is neither novel or non-obvious.   
      
   Non-bvious is a subjective bit of patent law, however if the idea has been in   
   the public   
   domain for a month or two before the application for patent is submitted.   
   Therefore if   
   another company is already doing it at the time of submission for patent then   
   the Idea is   
   not novel and microsoft should not have gotten it. I bet the guy who approved   
   this was   
   either a delinquent (like most decision makers in North America) or a push   
   over who was   
   bribed with a Micro$0pht pen and Bill Gates' autograph (like the rest of the   
   decision   
   makers in North America).   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)