[OT] Microsoft filled patent applications for scoped and immutable types

[Rikki Cattermole via Digitalmars-d]

On Tuesday, 26 August 2014 at 21:38:11 UTC, Nick Sabalausky wrote:
> On 8/26/2014 5:24 PM, H. S. Teoh via Digitalmars-d wrote:
>> On Tue, Aug 26, 2014 at 09:02:43PM +0000, MacAsm via 
>> Digitalmars-d wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, 26 August 2014 at 19:37:29 UTC, Max Klyga wrote:
>>>> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2014/0196008.html - 
>>>> IMMUTABLE
>>>> OBJECT TYPES
>>>>
>>>> I really hope patent office will reject these applications.
>>>
>>> How bad will this be to D?
>>
>> D has had immutable for years! Surely that counts as prior 
>> art?? Does
>> the patent office accept prior art submissions?
>>
>
> I doubt very much the USPTO gives a rat's ass about prior art. 
> Their strategy has been to sell patents to as many applicants 
> as they can and let the courts sort them all out. (The gov like 
> to pretend that that their court system, and therefore justice 
> itself, doesn't cost $$$$$.)
>
> As for the specific patents, meh, I've long been convinced that 
> it's physically impossible to write any useful software without 
> inadvertently "infringing" on several US patents. I doubt very 
> much that even a "Hello World" wouldn't involve anything that 
> some patent could make a claim over.
>
> This is what happens when corporations are permitted free reign.

You guys should totally move to New Zealand. Seriously you would 
fit right in.
Best part? No software patents.