Re[2]: CSS - Not a ?. Some information.

[Arlen P Walker <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>]

     MS was part of the committe (W3C) that issued the first
     recommendation for CSS.  That recommendation came out before the
     filing of the patent claim. So, basically, they were part of an board
     that created an open recommendation and then patented the result.  I
     can't see how this will hold up in court.  Then again $$ talks.

Patent Law starts a clock ticking when you first mention something in a
forum that might be considered public, and you have one year from that
time to apply. I don't know of anything in patent law that prevents you
from patenting the work of a board, and I don't see anything in the
procedure that would render a patent invalid, barring that one year limit.
It would be interesting to compare the date of the first public discussion
of CSS and the date of the filing.

It *does* however, make MS look even more hypocritical than usual in their
constant complaining about how Sun is managing the Java standard, though,
doesn't it?

Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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