Hello.
Just so you can plan ahead.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/84572/microsoft-chalks-up-5000th-patent.html
Goodbye.
Just so you can plan ahead.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/84572/microsoft-chalks-up-5000th-patent.html
Goodbye.
Congratulations Microsoft on 5000th Patent
Miscellaneous Forums/General Discussion/Congratulations Microsoft on 5000th Patent Wierd, how can you patent something like that when you can already do that sort thing in most online FPS games?
Something tells me that this is where Microsoft wishes to take the computer game industry.
...only less fun.
...only less fun.
How the heck can you patent an "Observer" mode when it has already been in use by many online games (both console & PC) for ages now?
Someone needs to thrash this current patent system and work up a new one, one that isn't so retarded allowing anyone with money to patent whatever they want...
Someone needs to thrash this current patent system and work up a new one, one that isn't so retarded allowing anyone with money to patent whatever they want...
This patenting lark sounds like a legal money-making scam.
Maybe we ought to get in on the act whilst there are a few patents left.
This is my offering.
I have just purchased location 15,17 of the display output.
I am now the only one who can plot a color dot at that point. The rest of you should ensure that location remains untouched. If not, a tresspassing order will be issued.
(Mmm, I wonder if there is some mileage in this?)
Maybe we ought to get in on the act whilst there are a few patents left.
This is my offering.
I have just purchased location 15,17 of the display output.
I am now the only one who can plot a color dot at that point. The rest of you should ensure that location remains untouched. If not, a tresspassing order will be issued.
(Mmm, I wonder if there is some mileage in this?)
' Title: Plot Owner 15|17 ' Author: Jim ' Patent: 99988765543321 ' About: Exploits location 15|17 which now belongs to me Graphics 640,480 Color Rand(255),Rand(255),Rand(255) Plot 15,17 Flip
Patents can eb used for two things:
1) To prevent your competition from using the same >insert great innovation here< in there products
2) For defensive purposes. There are tons of things technically patented, but in common use nonetheless. However, having 5,000 patents in your own portfolio means that a competitor would be much less likely to smack you for patent infringement of one of theirs, when they know they probably violate a dozen of Microsoft's themselves at the same time... So they can maintain the status-quo.
Overall, patents on software appear to be questionable at best...
1) To prevent your competition from using the same >insert great innovation here< in there products
2) For defensive purposes. There are tons of things technically patented, but in common use nonetheless. However, having 5,000 patents in your own portfolio means that a competitor would be much less likely to smack you for patent infringement of one of theirs, when they know they probably violate a dozen of Microsoft's themselves at the same time... So they can maintain the status-quo.
Overall, patents on software appear to be questionable at best...
..this is rubbish...patent on to something wide used in many games before?? So it means that for instance, MS stole patent from our lovely Blitzer , Jonathan Nguyen, whos wrote Mechanized Warfare game in Blitz3D, and offering exactly SPECTATOR option for multiplayer online game so you can fly around and watch whats going on...exactly what this idiots from MS wanna patent...worst thing ever happen to IT industry today I think is MS...real disaster..
It doesn't matter much, though.
The chances of anyone actually pursuing such a case as someone using spectator mode in a game are slim, and the chances that many people will remember this patent a year from now are slim.
If they were to actually try to sue somebody over this, I'm sure that it would:
1. Probably not succeed
2. Destroy Microsoft's image as a company that isn't quite evil.
3. Cause a backlash amongst many developers regarding Microsoft's recent exploits in the games industry.
It won't be big in either way though. Nobody will notice.
Look at all those other 5000 software patents that they have, which we're infringing on a daily basis!
You have to wonder who works at these patent offices, though. They must be the dumbest denomination of humanity!
I wonder if Einstein would have let a patent like this go through...
The chances of anyone actually pursuing such a case as someone using spectator mode in a game are slim, and the chances that many people will remember this patent a year from now are slim.
If they were to actually try to sue somebody over this, I'm sure that it would:
1. Probably not succeed
2. Destroy Microsoft's image as a company that isn't quite evil.
3. Cause a backlash amongst many developers regarding Microsoft's recent exploits in the games industry.
It won't be big in either way though. Nobody will notice.
Look at all those other 5000 software patents that they have, which we're infringing on a daily basis!
You have to wonder who works at these patent offices, though. They must be the dumbest denomination of humanity!
I wonder if Einstein would have let a patent like this go through...
why do they even bother then?
So nobody else can sue Microsoft for the same technology.
Luckily we don't have @#!*ty patent system like that in Finland, but EU is trying to legalise it anyway. There's nothing but trouble from EU.
Luckily we don't have @#!*ty patent system like that in Finland, but EU is trying to legalise it anyway. There's nothing but trouble from EU.
..I'll not be surprise that tomorrow i wake up and realize that I have to pay licence fee to MicroSoft becouse my game running in First Perspective view..or maybe becouse I'm using mouse for aiming in my game...what a rubbish..
If I understand patents at all (which I think I do a bit) then if you can prove that the <thing> or in this case <idea> was in the 'public domain' before the patent was granted then there IS NO WAY OF ENFORCING THE PATENT. This doesn't seem to stop them applying for, and getting the patent - all that means is that nobody else has bothered because it was blatently public domain and had been used many times by many people in many wide-spread well known ways.
Just to clarify all that - the patent office only seem to refuse a patent if a similar PATENT has already been filed. It is not their job to check that the idea is in use or widely known - that is up to the 'inventor'/applicant, because they will have to enforce the patent if it is challenged.
Obviously, most inventors don't have the time/money to file frivilous patent applications, so this has never been a problem. You could probably get a patent on 'the wheel' - I doubt anybody has wasted any money on that one - its ENFORCING it that would be your problem.
Now, I know the legal system operates on behalf of the dollar, but by simply producing a copy in court of any game from <=2005 that used 'spectator' mode would (in theory) have the case laughed out.
BTW I only say this from my limited experience as an inventor and if I'm wrong on anything I'm willing to be corrected :)
Just to clarify all that - the patent office only seem to refuse a patent if a similar PATENT has already been filed. It is not their job to check that the idea is in use or widely known - that is up to the 'inventor'/applicant, because they will have to enforce the patent if it is challenged.
Obviously, most inventors don't have the time/money to file frivilous patent applications, so this has never been a problem. You could probably get a patent on 'the wheel' - I doubt anybody has wasted any money on that one - its ENFORCING it that would be your problem.
Now, I know the legal system operates on behalf of the dollar, but by simply producing a copy in court of any game from <=2005 that used 'spectator' mode would (in theory) have the case laughed out.
BTW I only say this from my limited experience as an inventor and if I'm wrong on anything I'm willing to be corrected :)
Mechanized Walfare done in Blitz 3D is one of them..