[LINK] Microsoft patent...

[Roger Clarke]

At 16:37 +1000 7/8/09, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>.... for a word-processing document stored in a single XML file that may
>be manipulated by applications that understand XML
>http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=7,571,169
>
>Abstract
>A word processor including a native XML file format is provided. The
>well formed XML file fully represents the word-processor document, and
>fully supports 100% of word-processor's rich formatting. There are no
>feature losses when saving the word-processor documents as XML. A
>published XSD file defines all the rules behind the word-processor's XML
>file format. Hints may be provided within the XML associated files
>providing applications that understand XML a shortcut to understanding
>some of the features provided by the word-processor. The word-processing
>document is stored in a single XML file. Additionally, manipulation of
>word-processing documents may be done on computing devices that do not
>include the word-processor itself.

Oh dear, it must be Friday and shortly before beer time.

1.  Showing my scepticism about patents, and USPTO patents examiners:

"SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
"The present invention is directed at providing a word-processing 
document in a native XML file format that may be understood by an 
application that understands XML, or to enable another application or 
service to create a rich document in XML so that the word-processing 
application can open it as if it was one of its own documents. "

This wasn't utterly obvious long before the priority date ??

The priority date seems to be June 2002, but might be December 6, 2004.

Ignoring the gestation period from 1990 onwards:
-   Formal XML specs seem to date to 1998:
     http://www.w3.org/XML/
-   XML Schema specs ditto:
     http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema
-   XML DTDs appear to have been formalised even earlier?

And wouldn't the entire history of SGML, and then HTML, show that a 
word-processor that uses any native ML as its native storage-format 
is trivially different from its predecessor editors / word-processors 
that used predecessor MLs as *their* native-formats??


2.  Showing my scepticism about Microsoft:

Do they mean XML qua standard, or XML as mis-interpreted, 
mis-implemented and mis-documented (variously wilfully and 
incompetently) by Microsoft?


-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
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mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW