Microsoft has filed two separate patent applications, seeking to gain exclusive rights to technology used to obtain, organize, and read news feeds distributed via Real Simple Syndication (RSS).
The patent applications, actually filed in June 2005, recently became available for public consumption following the required 18-month privacy window.
While the applications themselves can read like an L. Ron Hubbard diatribe, the essence of the patent filings can be found in this abstract, which was graciously dug out by
Dave Winer, the self-proclaimed inventor of RSS,
Bradbury, however, isn't ready to christen Microsoft as an
Pete Cashmore
As for me, I haven't quite decided which side of the fence to come down on as of yet. It's clear to me that Microsoft is going to have difficulty establishing that it single-handedly invented these systems of RSS organization and reading. I don't see the company being awarded these patents as things currently stand.
Should people be upset with Microsoft for filing these patent applications? I don't necessarily think so. Dave Winer's view on the matter is a bit apocalyptic, and I'm not entirely inclined to believe that
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Microsoft Seeks Content Syndication Patents
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