Microsoft Trying to Patent RSS!

[DeluxeNames]

From the article:

"If you've added headlines from a news site to My Yahoo, or subscribe to blogs on a site like Bloglines, you've used RSS, a technology that's growing increasingly popular for distributing headlines and articles from blogs, news websites, and more. But now, two recently published patent applications reveal, Microsoft (MSFT) is claiming it invented RSS.

The applications, filed last June but just made public yesterday, cover subscribing and discovering what Microsoft calls "Web feeds." That comes as a bit of a shock to anyone who's been working on RSS, which has its origins in a format developed seven years ago at Netscape Communications.

Microsoft executive Don Dodge, while not involved in the patent applications, says he suspects the filings were made to defend the company against "patent trolls". (The filings were made shortly before Microsoft announced plans to build RSS technology into its upcoming Vista operating system.) Still, if granted, the patents would give Microsoft a legal cudgel to wield against other companies using RSS."

My take: This is scarry stuff! If Microsoft is awarded this patent what will happen to all of our RSS feed sites? I doubt (fingers crossed) they will succeed.

What's your take?

http://blogs.business2.com/beta/2006...icrosoft_.html

[Darren]

Even if they did succeed in Patenting it I don't see how they could cover every page on the web and tell whoever has an RSS feed to take it down or add ©Microsoft to it

[nancylopez0]

Other companies, including Apple and Google, have apparently also applied for the patents. Applying for a patent on your innovation is common industry practice, and one which, by incenting and protecting the companies and people involved, encourages everyone to contribute to the community. Lets see how it goes.