quote:
Originally posted by SpunkyLoveMuff
Sorry, but stuff like this interests me. I'm not sure what good a patent is in this situation. Is it going to stop Apple from scrolling pages an exact measurement in one keystroke? Will it stop non-Microsoft keyboards from carrying these buttons? I'm sure there is some really business savvy reason for doing it that saves them, or earns them, money =/
They are simply being smart (and a pain in the behind) if you ask me....
There wasn't a patent for it yet, so they applied for one (IIRC you don't need to be the inventer to apply for a patent, you simply need to be the first one to apply (together with some other conditions of course) or something like that).
Reason: now they can ask for a small amount of money, each time a 3rd party makes a keyboard (or software?) with the PageUp, PageDn functions described in the patent.
Maybe as a result of this, we might see keyboards (and software?) with PageUp, PageDn keys which do a bit more than what is exactly described in the patent. eg: you can set the amount of lines to jump or something like that. As long as the patent doesn't describe these 'new' PageUp, PageDn buttons exactly, the 3rd party can get away with it (and if they are smart, they ask for a new patent before MS does
).
Something like that, I'm no expert in all of this...
quote:
Originally posted by vaccination
IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!11
But on a serious note; the more patents you have the more likely to succeed in world domination you are.
maybe, but it is not because you have a patent on almost everything that you dominate the world though. Other people can still use that patented stuff... the only drawback, they have to pay for it.
/ 
