Off-Topic > Off-Topic - Tiny Core Lounge

Microsoft attempting to patent "sudo"

(1/2) > >>

trishtren18:
i just can believe this could pass through the courts and not gett thrown out

http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,617,530.PN.&OS=PN/7,617,530&RS=PN/7,617,530

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390

look at these articles and especially the last one.  crazy stuff going on here.

althalus:
title is incorrect. Microsoft is not trying to patent sudo. What they are patenting is a box that pops up with a list of users that have the required permissions to do whatever you're trying to do. Something like gksudo is a bit closer to what they are actually trying to patent, but having not read the patent too closely (the language hurts my brain) and not having a good understanding how gksudo works, I think this is a slightly different system - Microsoft has patented here a much "smarter" version of sudo.

Nor has this patent passed through any court - they get approved by the USPTO, which by all accounts I've read, is understaffed, and lacks the technical knowledge to adequately assess a technical patent. The patent won't be tested in a court until microsoft tries to sue somebody for using their patent without proper licensing/royalties/blah blah.

I will grant you that crazy stuff does quite regularly go in the patent world though.

PS: Note that I'm not American, OR a lawyer, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

trishtren18:
but cant microsoft sue simply on the grounds that they have something patented that is alike to something we use?

tclfan:

--- Quote from: althalus on November 12, 2009, 02:36:09 AM ---PS: Note that I'm not American, OR a lawyer, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

--- End quote ---
This is a very proud and strong statement to make nowadays!
US has 5% of the world's population but 70% of world's lawyers!
It is good not to be hostage of the 'legal' system...

trishtren18:
agreed and i do not claim that what microsoft has created is indeed "sudo" but still i think they would have the right, if this were patented, to claim rights over the idea of "sudo" since microsofts and unix/linux command does basicly the same exact thing.  its just called something different and wrapped up in a gui with the same concept is what im trying to say.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page