xml-dev - RE: An other /%?/&*" patent - help requested from the community.

[Didier PH Martin <martind@netfolder.com>]

Hi Jeff,

Jeff said:
It was mentioned on this list in the last couple of months that if you
inform the authors of the patent of prior art after the patent if filed and
before the patent is approved, they have a legal obligation to inform the
patent office.  If they fail to pass the information on to the patent
office, the patent will not likely survive a later challenge.  Check the
list archives.

Didier replies:
This is also something we have to do but firstly we need as much as
possible:

- prior art references (Thanks to Daniel Veillard for the pointer and I hope
to get some more info from David Durand or Steven DeRose)
- a pointer to where I can get access to the text for the patent pending
document so that we can publish it for public discussion. I tried to find
where the patent pending documents are but got lost in the web. If only
someone knows where to go, this would help.

Obviously, it is natural that we inform the patent authors about any prior
art but to do so, we need to get as much as possible enough material.

I just hope that people will be as zealous as it would be the case if this
would be Microsoft instead of that company. If that would have been the
case, I am sure the mail would be full of comments at this moment. So, for
any of us who like to see Microsoft as the evil empire, just imagine that
Microsoft filled for this patent and help us protect the interest of the XML
developers community by helping us find any prior art material. By doing so,
you'll help the whole community. The goal is to find as much information as
we can to protect the members of our community and stop this insane practice
that some companies are too prone to employ. At least, this could help us
find what is the real invention - and they deserve to protect it - from a
simple copy/application of public knowledge. But more than anything else,
help us prevent some companies to highjack the property of the community.
Also, to protect our fellow colleagues from such people.

Many thanks
Didier PH Martin
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