[REBOL] A big patent to lose: web embedded code
From: carl::rebol::com at: 13-Aug-2003 19:17
Microsoft just lost a patent case for more than $500M.
What's important is that this patent was for code and apps embedded
within web pages. Although REBOL itself does not violate that patent,
this case is nontheless significant for the Web.
It puzzles me a great deal why attorneys for Microsoft could not find
sufficient prior art on this patent, esp. consdering the $ amount of
the claim.
Here's the patent summary for US Patent 5,838,906:
Summary:
Distributed hypermedia method for automatically invoking external
application providing interaction and display of embedded objects
within a hypermedia document.
Abstract:
A system allowing a user of a browser program on a computer connected
to an open distributed hypermedia system to access and execute an
embedded program object. The program object is embedded into a
hypermedia document much like data objects. The user may select the
program object from the screen. Once selected the program object
executes on the user's (client) computer or may execute on a remote
server or additional remote computers in a distributed processing
arrangement. After launching the program object, the user is able to
interact with the object as the invention provides for ongoing
interprocess communication between the application object (program)
and the browser program. One application of the embedded program
object allows a user to view large and complex multi-dimensional
objects from within the browser's window. The user can manipulate a
control panel to change the viewpoint used to view the image. The
invention allows a program to execute on a remote server or other
computers to calculate the viewing transformations and send frame data
to the client computer thus providing the user of the client computer
with interactive features and allowing the user to have access to
greater computing power than may be available at the user's client
computer.
-Carl
