Microsoft Patents Serializing Objects To XML And Sending Them OverA Network

[Gerald Bauer <gerald.bauer@mac.com>]

Hello,

   Marc Clifton (of MyXAML fame) reports in a blog story titled 
"Microsoft Patents Serializing Objects To XML And Sending Them Over A 
Network":

   The abstract reads:

Herein is described an implementation of an object persister, which 
serializes an object to preserve the object's data structure and its 
current data. The serialized object is encoded using XML and __inserted 
within a message__. That message is __transmitted to an entity over a 
network__. Such a transmission is performed using standard Internet 
protocols, such as HTML. Upon receiving the serialized object, the 
receiving entity deserializes the object to use it. Rather than include 
copies of referenced objects within the serialized object, the object 
persister includes references to those objects. This avoids redundant 
inclusion of the same object and potentially infinite inclusion of the 
object itself that is being serialized.

(bolded text is mine).

What this implies to me is that if you were thinking of using xml for a 
serialization format and sending down, for example, UI definitions to 
your client, you're now in violation of this patent.

This also has some implications with serializing objects into xml and 
sending them down to a web browser as part of html.  It strikes me that 
if you now use xml with a plug-in for IE, say, that renders vector 
graphics, you are in violation of this patent.

   Source: http://myxaml.com/marcclifton/archive/2005/05/27/1972.aspx

    Any thoughts? Any comments?

   - Gerald
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