Quote:
Originally Posted by Probono
many companies are being forces to pay license fees to Microsoft and Oracle since Google appears to have stolen code.
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Even the Microsoft FUD machine doesn't claim stolen code. They claim patents on basic ideas like selecting text and manipulating it, for example. They claim that the idea of selecting something, such as for copy and paste, is their proprietary property.
Barnes and Noble has filed HUNDREDS of examples of prior art invalidating the patents. For example, in 1976 my favorite text editor, vi, had a text selection feature that includes the elements Microsoft claims to have invented 24 years later.
They also claim to have invented the "loading" status message in a web browser in 1997. You can still download a 1993 copy of Mosaic and check out the status messages. Their claims are completely falling apart, as they knew they would, but they successfully created fear, uncertainty, and doubt for a year with these bogus claims.