The Register: FSF Eases Microsoft Schema Patent Fears

“‘We will have to patent our schema,’ advised Bill Gates in an
internal email in June 1998, ‘and some of our key objects like
people/schedules.’

“Whether an XML schema can be a patentable invention is an
interesting question, but only fairly recently the Microsoft
chairman was attracted the idea that he not only could, but should
pursue the option. So the release of the first of Microsoft’s XML
schemas for Office 2003–files that describe the format for office
documents saved as XML–caused some anxiety in the community
yesterday…”

Complete
Story