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Microsoft Justifies Its XML Patent Moves | |
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| Time: 16:39 EST/21:39 GMT | News Source: eWeek | Posted By: Byron Hinson | ||
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Microsoft watchers are questioning yet again Microsoft's intentions toward XML, the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) Extensible Markup Language standard. Last year, Microsoft released publicly its Word 2003, Excel 2003 and InfoPath 2003 XML schemas. The company made the schemas freely downloadable from its own Web site, and in the case of WordXML, also via a central repository hosted by the Danish government. Microsoft said it did so as a gesture of goodwill, rather than as a response to criticism regarding its promises to open up its XML schemas. | ||
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| #1 By 12071 (203.217.67.71) at 1/24/2004 10:48:22 PM |
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Who honestly, apart from the Microsoft apologists, didn't see this coming?
Oh that's right, everyone who predicted this as soon as Microsoft announced support for XML file formats was called "paranoid" and the like. |
| #2 By 2960 (68.101.35.196) at 1/25/2004 2:24:34 AM |
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I have no idea what their agenda here is, but it's another reason why Software Patents need a SERIOUS re-think.
The ability to patent a document format is a serious trip down a dangerous road where competing products cannot read files. We really don't need this. TL |
| #3 By 12071 (203.217.67.71) at 1/25/2004 9:51:45 PM |
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#4 "And, remember, Microsoft did not open the WordXML format so that competing products could read the file format."
Really? I thought part of the reason was interoperability! At least that's what this Press Pass says: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/nov03/11-17XMLRefSchemaEMEAPR.asp "Microsoft offers an open and royalty-free documentation and license of the Microsoft Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas." http://www.microsoft.com/office/xml/default.mspx "Can I distribute a program that can read and/or write files that support the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas in source code form? Yes. You can distribute your program in source code form. But, note that the patent and copyright provisions in the license for the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas require you to include a notice of attribution in your program. Can I distribute a licensed program under an open source software license? Yes. There are many open source licenses available in the developer community..... The terms and conditions of these licenses differ in material respects. We believe you can distribute your program under many open source software licenses so long as you include the notices described in the licenses for the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas. On the other hand, some open source licenses may include specific constraints or restrictions that might preclude development under the Office 2003 XML Reference Schema licenses. You should check with your legal counsel if you have questions about a particular open source software license." http://www.microsoft.com/office/xml/faq.mspx So what's the problem with this patent? Well apart from the fact that this "invention" is nothing of the sort, OO has been saving files in XML format for a long time now except this brilliant invention is to store all the information in a single XML file!, Microsoft can now charge licensing fees for any other word processing application which wants to save it's data in a single xml file (unless of course they save it in 2 or more xml files). What's the next patent? The invention of putting all the "Spreadsheet data in a single XML file"? These sorts of patents are why so many people are opposed to software patents to begin with! Too bad if you're writing or already have written a word processor and you want to save all the data in a single xml file... Microsoft owns that invention! "Of course you can interoperate... we'll just have to discuss certain licensing fees... after all, we can't have anyone trying to eat away at out Office cash cow... especially since the rest of the divisions aren't doing too well". |
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