[LINK] Microsoft is dead

Alastair Rankine arsptr at internode.on.net
Sun Apr 8 09:49:01 AEST 2007


On 08/04/2007, at 2:28 AM, Michael Still wrote:

> Rick Welykochy wrote:
>> Interesting point. XMLHttpRequest is an object in Javascript. JS is
>> full of objects, like Document (the actual HTML text), Form, Event,
>> etc. etc.
>
> Javascript is standardized as ECMA script. I assume all rights had  
> to be
> waived (if any existed) to do that.

Some standards bodies allow patented technologies to be submitted.  
Apparently the ECMA is one of those, with the additional and common  
caveat that the patents will be licensed on a reasonable and non- 
discriminatory basis. See http://www.ecma-international.org/memento/ 
codeofconduct.htm .

But it's not just the submitter you have to worry about patent  
claims. For example, VRRP was standardised in the IETF, but incurred  
the ire of Cisco who thought it too similar to their own HSRP. See:  
http://www.foo.be/vrrp/

Obviously the OpenBSD folks thought there was sufficient grounds for  
Cisco to claim, because they invented their own protocol (CARP)  
specifically to avoid infringing Cisco's patent, rather than  
implement the standard VRRP.




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