You won't believe this!

[Ross Macintosh]

Microsoft has a patent on double-clicking your mouse! Really. Look here.

Those Redmond folks are really clever!

Regards, Ross

[Ross Macintosh]

Microsoft has a patent on double-clicking your mouse! Really. Look here.

Those Redmond folks are really clever!

Regards, Ross

[John Rayner]

If Microsoft could find a way to patent the alphabet they would. Just to make everyone pay them to write a word.

[raffon]

John,
They already got ones and zeros
REDMOND, WA — In what CEO Bill Gates called "an unfortunate but necessary step to protect our intellectual property from theft and exploitation by competitors," the Microsoft Corporation patented the numbers one and zero Monday.



Microsoft Corporation patented the numbers one and zero

[Klaus Nordby]

Whether **one** particular little patent makes sense or not (a complex matter to be decided by patent attorneys, not you and me), let me remind you trigger-happy folks that patents protect property rights - and that property rights is one crucial factor which separates civilized societies from barbaric ones.

[Ross Macintosh]

I agree Klaus. With regards to the patent I highlighted, it relates to user interface designs. After spending money on development it is only right that they patent what is patentable in order to protect their right to use the development.

Still it is kind of surprising.

Regards, Ross

[John Rayner]

Umm guys,

there is a little bit of difference between what redmond does and ethics. On the ones that zero's bit. I think that was more tongue in cheek than fact. Do you have a link to the actual patent?

I never said patents where bad. There is a difference between earning money and carpetbagging...

[raffon]

John,
That is a "The Onion" piece mirrored on another site.
If you haven't visited them, I highly suggest it.