Microsoft granted patent for double-click

Lefteris_D

Administrator
Staff member
Microsoft has been granted a patent on the double-click by the US Patents and Trademark Office. The patent, number 6,727,830, was granted on April 27.

An abstract of the application says: "A method and system are provided for extending the functionality of application buttons on a limited resource computing device. Alternative application functions are launched based on the length of time an application button is pressed. A default function for an application is launched if the button is pressed for a short, i.e., normal, period of time.

"An alternative function of the application is launched if the button is pressed for a long, (e.g., at least one second), period of time. Still another function can be launched if the application button is pressed multiple times within a short period of time, e.g., double click."

The inventors have been cited as Charlton E. Lui and Jeffrey R. Blum and the assignee is Microsoft Corporation.

The field of the invention "relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly to increasing the functionality of application buttons on a limited resource computing device", the patent application says.

Microsoft said last year that it would be seeking to improve earnings from technology which it claims it invented and would be using its patent portfolio to do so.

Last year, the company said it would be charging for use of the FAT filesystem.

The New York-based Public Patent Foundation has filed a formal request with the US Patent and Trademark Office, asking that Microsoft's patent on this filesystem be revoked.
Source: www.smh.com.au

Ok.... Did anyone see that coming? :blink:
 

frosted

New member
Is this not a reply to the fact that they are not allowed to be a monopoly? By allowing other companies to develop operating systems... I havent noticed a huge rush of companies trying this out. This may be their reply. I wonder if they will patent the "crashing" of windows too........... :lol:
 

Lefteris_D

Administrator
Staff member
Patent number 5,443,036 ia titled "Method for Exercising a Cat".
A method for inducing cats to exercise consists of directing a beam of invisible light produced by a hand-held laser apparatus onto the floor or wall or other opaque surface in the vicinity of the cat, then moving the laser so as to cause the bright pattern of light to move in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct.
If you ever pointed a laser pointer at the ground and your cat chased it, you have infringed a US Government patent...

At least Microsoft patented something that is worth patenting...
 

Lefteris_D

Administrator
Staff member
Originally posted by onewecallgod@Jun 3 2004, 03:03 PM
i dont believe it....its like patenting the on button....
If they do it after reading your post I'll ban you!
 

bison328

New member
Don't be so serious :p
I think that Microsoft knows what they will do...

I seldom care about the fiddles on the Internet...
 

bison328

New member
If they insist granting patent for it...
I have nothing to say...

THey just want every feature to be their belongings...
Well, mostly it's for commerce's sake... <_<
 

Zach

New member
ONe click operating systems are easy to use anyway so it don't matter.

I believe Linux flavors have many one-click oriented front ends.
 

bison328

New member
But I think I have gotten used to double click instead of using Enter
Changes...... and I can't use Linux properly just because of using windows
 

Zach

New member
Sadly no one in this thread seems to understand the implication of this copyright.

This doesn't bar the end user from using double-click, it would simply open the door for microsoft to sue whoever they wanted, if they incorporated double-click functionality into a particular operating system they wanted to destroy

As an end user, you buy the right to use the functions of the software, so you are already entitled to double-click as much as you please.

A patent protects companies from each other, not from the consumer; otherwise there would (gasp) be no company to sell shit to the consumer in the first place.

When I buy a Gillette razor, I buy the right to use their product, in all its functional capacities. If I bought a razor and was not allowed to use it, Gillette would go out of business VERY fast,
 

bison328

New member
Wouldn't it be expensive?
 

bison328

New member
Sorry, I mean to "buy that patent"

--
And I am a newbie here,
I hope I could get used to this place...
Any offense, please don't mind...
 

Mourgos

New member
Does anyone know how many years does a patent last?After all they may have just patented double click but they( ? ) invented it many years before.

Anyway I don't think they have the legal right to prevent any other company to use it,as it has been used by other OS before they get the patent...
Why do I have the constant feeling that the US law system is idiotic?
 

Zach

New member
Depends on the patent type. But I don't know how coporate patents work.

And I still have no idea wtf BIson is talking about
 

nesman

Member
patenting double clicking. but double clicking wouldnt be possible without the GUI. and wasnt there a lawsuit between Apple and Microsoft? i heard Apple sued Microsoft for using the GUI in their operating system.
 

onewecallgod

New member
i still dont believe it.... it just doesnt seem possible....

what if they patent the single click :rolleyes:
 

bison328

New member
That's awful :angry:
 
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