Re: [Usability] [Fwd: Microsoft pockets an IM patent (fwd)]

[Julien Olivier <julo altern org>]

On Thu, 2003-10-09 at 11:04, Calum Benson wrote:
> Damn, and I used to like this feature....
> 

Well, where's the problem ? You leave in Ireland, don't you ? And this
patent doesn't apply to the EU, does it ?

So what's the problem ?

PS: that's a real question. Being an Irish citizen myself, I'd like to
understand how this patent affects me concretely, if anyone knows.

> 
> Microsoft pockets an IM patent
> 
> 
> By <mailto:jimh cnet com?subject=FEEDBACK:Microsoft pockets an IM 
> patent>Jim Hu
> Staff Writer, CNET News.com
> <http://news.com.com//2100-1028_3-5088150.html?tag=prntfr>http://news.com.com/2100-1028-5088150.html
> 
> 
> Story last modified October 7, 2003, 6:15 PM PDT
> 
> Microsoft has won a patent for an instant messaging feature that 
> notifies users when the person they are communicating with is typing a 
> message.
> 
> The patent encompasses a feature that's not only on Microsoft's IM 
> products but also on those of its rivals America Online and Yahoo. The 
> patent was granted on Tuesday.
> 
> Patent No. 6,631,412 could serve as a weapon in Microsoft's battle for 
> IM market share. Microsoft is investing heavily in IM as a springboard 
> for selling communication software to businesses. Later this year, 
> <http://news.com.com//2100-1032-5062191.html?tag=nl>Microsoft plans to 
> launch Live Communications Server, a software product that will 
> initially offer IM for the enterprise and then expand into Internet 
> voice calling and video services.
> 
> The software giant currently offers MSN Messenger as a free download 
> off the Web, as well as Windows Messenger, the IM client for its XP 
> operating system. Both services have amassed millions of users.
> 
> Having a patent can be a powerful tool, but only if it can be proven 
> in a court that its owner has bulletproof claims to the invention, 
> according to legal experts. Companies that challenge a patent have to 
> prove the patent owner was not the first one on record for the 
> invention.
> 
> "This means that if someone tries to invalidate the Microsoft patent, 
> they would try to find examples of instant messaging that predated the 
> filing date," said Carl Oppedahl, an intellectual property attorney at 
> Oppedahl, Larson & Frisco in Colorado.
> 
> A Microsoft representative declined to comment on the patent. Both AOL 
> and Yahoo representatives declined comment as well.
> 
> Microsoft is not the first company to pursue a patent over IM. In 
> December 2002, <http://news.com.com//2100-1023-978234.html?tag=nl>AOL 
> subsidiary ICQ won a patent that claimed rights as the inventor of IM. 
> AOL has not flexed its muscle on the patent, and competitive IM 
> services remain active.
> 
> The rush to patent elements of IM underscores the application's 
> popularity and potential. IM has become widely used by millions of Web 
> users who exchange text messages with each other in real time. Some of 
> the most popular IM services--AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger 
> and MSN--have added features, such as video conferencing, animated 
> emoticons and mobile access.