Tectonic: Local Organisations Challenge Microsoft XML Patent

[ Thanks to Barry Dale for this link. ]

"South African free software advocates yesterday served patent 'request to surrender' papers on Microsoft SA's legal representatives, urging the company to withdraw a patent (ZA200303346) it holds on XML-based word processing. The patent, titled "Word processing document stored in a single XML file that may be manipulated by applications that understand XML", suggests that the software giant invented and owns the process of XML-based word processing.

"Microsoft applied for the patent in April 2004, and it was granted two months later..."

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