“Last Tuesday, the U.S. patents commissioner took a first step
toward revoking a controversial patent, which some fear would
entitle its inventor to millions, perhaps billions, of dollars in
royalties on a technology that underlies many Y2K computer
fixes.”
“It is highly unusual for a patents commissioner to order
the re-examination of a patent, but such an action usually results
in the patent being revoked….“
“I don’t think Dickens is a malicious individual trying to pull
a fast one – he probably thinks this is an original idea,” said Mr
Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association
of America. “But every indication is that windowing has been around
for years and maybe decades. We find the idea of patenting it
laughable.”
[ Free Site Registration Required. lt-ed. ]