Siggi Posted September 1, 2008 I just read this article I found through slashdot Microsoft patents 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' and I laughed. I don't live in a country where these patents mean anything, but what about people who have to adhere to this BS? 0 Share this post Link to post
Stilgar Posted September 1, 2008 *looks to the date on his taskbar, disheartened to see Sep 1 and not Apr 1* 0 Share this post Link to post
Kirby Posted September 1, 2008 Wow. Microsoft likes its money, yes? I think I'll rename these keys here on my laptop.... 0 Share this post Link to post
TomoAlien Posted September 1, 2008 Ridiciulous... What next? Maybe they will patent the air? 0 Share this post Link to post
fraggle Posted September 1, 2008 Kirby said:I think I'll rename these keys here on my laptop.... That wouldn't make any difference, as the patent is on the concept/invention, not the names of the keys. I'm not even surprised at this news. It's sad, there are many, many more patents just like this one getting filed all the time. The only difference here is that this one has been noticed and is getting attention from the press. The patent system as it stands (in America, particularly), is horribly, horribly broken. The simple fact is that nowadays it is impossible to write any kind of moderately sized (or larger) computer program without infringing on someone's patent. 0 Share this post Link to post
printz Posted September 1, 2008 AFAIK, pgup and pgdn scroll the window by a SCREEN, not by a document PAGE. So what's the rush anyway? In fact, for so tiny details, and as long as there's no police nearby, I wouldn't care. I'd prefer an easy life over caring for this. 0 Share this post Link to post
GreyGhost Posted September 1, 2008 I'm not suprised that Microsoft has nearly 10k patents - it's a great way to stifle the "freedom to innovate" they claim to have been championing. Personally - I don't care - so long as it doesn't infringe on my patent "Using a stored electrical charge to represent a binary state". :P 0 Share this post Link to post
deathbringer Posted September 1, 2008 There used to be endless patents filed on toilets... we haven't seen any decent toilet-based technological advances lately. *awaits inevitable "WinBog" to be patentened now somebody's said that* 0 Share this post Link to post
myk Posted September 1, 2008 Yeah well, apparently Americans missed their chance to split Microsoft in two back when they voted the Bush administration, which was bought off by the company. 0 Share this post Link to post
Sharessa Posted September 1, 2008 myk said:Yeah well, apparently Americans missed their chance to split Microsoft in two back when they voted the Bush administration, which was bought off by the company. That might not be such a good idea. 0 Share this post Link to post
Zaldron Posted September 1, 2008 Given the sorry state of software patents in this day and age, I actually prefer Microsoft to hold it, rather than the post-2003 startup companies whose only goal is to accumulate ludicrous patents and sue the shit out of rich IT companies. 0 Share this post Link to post
Technician Posted September 1, 2008 Zaldron said:Given the sorry state of software patents in this day and age, I actually prefer Microsoft to hold it, rather than the post-2003 startup companies whose only goal is to accumulate ludicrous patents and sue the shit out of rich IT companies. Or Apple. 0 Share this post Link to post
myk Posted September 1, 2008 Patent trolls are pretty interesting, actually; the phenomenon is that patent-mongers are being bitten in the ass with their own poison. They're like a virus inside a fucked up operating system. But I wouldn't be surprised if some are just loosely conglomerated with big companies, though, as patent-war waging proxies. 0 Share this post Link to post
Mindless Rambler Posted September 1, 2008 TomoAlien said:Ridiciulous... What next? Maybe they will patent the air? Worse. 0 Share this post Link to post
GreyGhost Posted September 2, 2008 Be damned if I'll pay a fee every time I count on my fingers (in binary notation)! :-) @Myk - I'm waiting for the US Patent system to go into meltdown and hoping the web of Free Trade agreements doesn't result in the contagion being spread worldwide. 0 Share this post Link to post
Death-Destiny Posted September 2, 2008 Wait, 0s and 1s have been patented for 10 years!?!? Crud. I don't even know how much I owe now with as many as I've accumulated since then. [Edit]Darn, I posted this at 5:31 GMT, that's another 1 I'm responsible for now. I wonder if the 1s and 0s in this post count, because that'd be another 10. I'd better stop while I'm ahead, or something. =/[/Edit] [Edit #2]Yale University theoretical mathematics professor J. Edmund Lattimore said:"Because all integers and natural numbers derive from one and zero, Microsoft may, by extension, lay claim to ownership of all mathematics and logic systems, including Euclidean geometry, pulleys and levers, gravity, and the basic Newtonian principles of motion, as well as the concepts of existence and nonexistence. In other words, pretty much everything." That's why Bill is so rich, because he's so clever. He took over the world by patenting 1's and 0's. It's ingenious. Yeah, I wonder about the U.S. patent system sometimes. =/[/Edit #2] 0 Share this post Link to post
Technician Posted September 2, 2008 Think I'll break my dick off and send it to Microsoft right now for both compensation and protest to spare this inclining shit to future generations when it comes to a head. Andrew, I'm hopping into the preverbal borax sterile bed with you. Corporations are now not only mapping the genome but singular numeric’s/binary the line needs to be drawn somewhere. If you’re going to be fucked in the ass by these bullshit juggernauts, it might as well be you’re with own dick. 0 Share this post Link to post
caco_killer Posted September 2, 2008 Technician said:Corporations are now not only mapping the genome but singular numeric’s/binary the line needs to be drawn somewhere. If you’re going to be fucked in the ass by these bullshit juggernauts, it might as well be you’re with own dick. All these major corporations control the government with their lobbyists, they will continue to have their way. 0 Share this post Link to post
Prince of Darkness Posted September 7, 2008 Aside from all the witty pollitical banter, I find that the patent number ends in "666". Makes me realize what many already believe. 0 Share this post Link to post
Richo Rosai Posted September 9, 2008 Prince of Darkness said:witty inane political delusional conspiracy theory banter nonsense 0 Share this post Link to post
Inferno Posted September 9, 2008 Pateting page up and down is pretty messed up. But how the heck can something like the binary system be patented? It doesent make sense! 0 Share this post Link to post
Mindless Rambler Posted September 9, 2008 It appears that many people are unaware that The Onion is a fake news organization. 0 Share this post Link to post
GreyGhost Posted September 10, 2008 Their "reporting" is no less credible than some of the mainstream news outlets - *cough* Fox *cough*. 0 Share this post Link to post
Enjay Posted September 10, 2008 Inferno said:Pateting page up and down is pretty messed up. No, patenting it is good business sense. Allowing it to be patented is pretty messed up. 0 Share this post Link to post
Richo Rosai Posted September 10, 2008 Mindless Rambler said:It appears that many people are unaware that The Onion is a fake news organization. Well you don't need to be aware in advance or anything. The Onion is good and obvious enough satire that if someone can read an entire article and still not realize then he must be seriously dumb. Or even if you just skimmed it, in this case even the picture in the middle was enough to give it away. 0 Share this post Link to post
Inferno Posted September 10, 2008 Enjay said:No, patenting it is good business sense. Allowing it to be patented is pretty messed up. Ahh hell you know what I mean Enjay. 0 Share this post Link to post
Jello Posted September 11, 2008 Enjay said:Yes, but I'm pedantic. ;) I think you mean "petantic". 0 Share this post Link to post
herooftime1000 Posted September 21, 2008 Oh gosh, I didn't catch that onion symbol. Whew! Thank god. I thought for a second that was real. Even so, I'm pretty sure they will patent the backspace button soon, and if they patent computers all together, I'm getting out of this crazy planet. You know what would be worse? If Bill believed in Scientology... 0 Share this post Link to post