[Paul K]

Originally Posted by ian@huth

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.

I read this interesting statement on the patent

This is NOT patenting custom emoticons, as the title of the news says.

What IS being patented is the exact way MSN Messenger handles its custom emoticons feature, right down to the sizing, caching, and behavior when the text is typed.