Microsoft tries to patent smilies
 

Yes, you heard it right:
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...id=155&tid=109

:) ;) :( :monkey: :o: :cool: :p: :mad: :td: :Yikes: :shocked: :dunce: :upyours:

Re: Microsoft tries to patent smilies
 

How stupid, M$ have gone too far now :rolleyes:

Re: Microsoft tries to patent smilies
 

I may be wrong, but seeing as smilies have been around since (at least) the early seventies, and you could even argue that websites have been using custom smilies for at least ten years (after all, at some point someone has designed the picture used), surely any attempt to patent that would fail?

Re: Microsoft tries to patent smilies
 

How can they patent someones art? Surely that would fall under copyright rather than patent anyway?

Is there a head doctor out there who can check the MS lawyers for madness?

Re: Microsoft tries to patent smilies
 

The history of smilies is talked about at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A155909 .

The Microsoft patent can be seen at http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...DN/20050156873

It isn't the art that is being patented but the method of representing art by characters for transmission.

Re: Microsoft tries to patent smilies
 

I read this interesting statement on the patent