[LINK] Fwd: [isworld] Patent madness

[Roger Clarke]

>Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:56:11 +0100
>From: <M.Cushman at lse.ac.uk>
>To: "AISWORLD Information Systems World Network" <isworld at lyris.isworld.org>
>
>Microsoft has been granted a patent on 'Page Up' and 'Page Down'
>keystrokes.
>
>http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-218626.html?tag=nl.e550
>
>The software giant applied for the patent in 2005, and was granted it on
>August 19, 2008. US patent number 7,415,666
><http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PAL
>L&p=1%3Cbr%20%3E%3C/a%3E%20&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=
>50&s1=7,415,666.PN.&OS=PN/7,415%3Cbr%20/%3E%20,666&RS=PN/7,415,666>
>describes "a method and system in a document viewer for scrolling a
>substantially exact increment in a document, such as one page,
>regardless of whether the zoom is such that some, all or one page is
>currently being viewed".
>
>The patent's listed 'inventors' are Timothy Sellers, Heather Grantham
>and Joshua Dersch. However, Page Up and Page Down keyboard buttons have
>been in existence for at least quarter of a century, as evidenced by
>this image of a 1981 IBM PC keyboard
><http://www.vintage-computer.com/images/83key.jpg> .
>
>"In one implementation, pressing a Page Down or Page Up keyboard
>key/button allows a user to begin at any starting vertical location
>within a page, and navigate to that same location on the next or
>previous page," reads the patent's summary.
>
>"For example, if a user is viewing a page starting in a viewing area
>from the middle of that page and ending at the bottom, a Page Down
>command will cause the next page to be shown in the viewing area
>starting at the middle of the next page and ending at the bottom of the
>next page. Similar behavior occurs when there is more than one column of
>pages being displayed in a row," states the summary.
>
>Microsoft has a long history of applying for, and being granted patents
>for, inventions that many argue--and can sometimes demonstrate--were
>based on earlier work carried out by others, or based on a common,
>self-evident idea.
>
>One example is the company's patent on a mouse wheel that can scroll up
>and down; another is its patent on double-clicking buttons. The company
>received its 5,000th patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office in
>March 2006, and is currently approaching the 10,000 mark.
>
>This follows Thompson Reuters attack on Zotero
>
>http://crookedtimber.org/2008/09/30/gmu-sued-for-zotero/
>
>Mike
>
>
>
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-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
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