Re: Linux stifles innovation...

[Carlos Fernandez Sanz]

I did some research on the patent database and found nothing regarding such
a patent. There's patent on word processors (not the concept but related to)
and uses tab on the description...and that patent is from 1980.

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Sutherland" <[e-mail]>
To: "David D.W. Downey" <[e-mail]>
Cc: "Rik van Riel" <[e-mail]>; "Alan Olsen"
<[e-mail]>; "Mark Haney" <[e-mail]>;
<[e-mail]>
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 15:18
Subject: RE: Linux stifles innovation...

> On Fri, 16 Feb 2001, David D.W. Downey wrote:
>
> > Would someone tell me where you get all this lovely information on
> > patents held by M$? I can't find anything.
>
> Sorry, it's *IBM* who are said to hold a patent on the tab key.
>
> Legend has it Microsoft once found a patent of theirs which IBM appeared
> to have infringed, and were very excited at the possibility of something
> to hold over IBM, so their lawyers met IBM's lawyers. The MS lawyers
> beamed "look at our patent you've infringed!" IBM's lawyers replied "look
> at this pile of our patents YOU'VE infringed... let's start with this
> one. A Tab key." MS suddenly realised they were outlawyered...
>
> No idea how accurate it is, but just the thought of MS's lawyers getting a
> nasty shock like that has a certain appeal :-)
>
>
> James.
>
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