Stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid!
Microsoft patents 'Page Up' and 'Page Down'
Summary
The software maker has been granted a US patent on "navigating paginated content in page-based increments."
Topics
Microsoft has been granted a patent on 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' keystrokes.
The software giant applied for the patent in 2005, and was granted it on August 19, 2008. US patent number 7,415,666 describes "a method and system in a document viewer for scrolling a substantially exact increment in a document, such as one page, regardless of whether the zoom is such that some, all or one page is currently being viewed".
The patent's listed 'inventors' are Timothy Sellers, Heather Grantham and Joshua Dersch. However, Page Up and Page Down keyboard buttons have been in existence for at least quarter of a century, as evidenced by this image of a 1981 IBM PC keyboard.
"In one implementation, pressing a Page Down or Page Up keyboard key/button allows a user to begin at any starting vertical location within a page, and navigate to that same location on the next or previous page," reads the patent's summary.
"For example, if a user is viewing a page starting in a viewing area from the middle of that page and ending at the bottom, a Page Down command will cause the next page to be shown in the viewing area starting at the middle of the next page and ending at the bottom of the next page. Similar behavior occurs when there is more than one column of pages being displayed in a row," states the summary.
Microsoft has a long history of applying for, and being granted patents for, inventions that many argue--and can sometimes demonstrate--were based on earlier work carried out by others, or based on a common, self-evident idea.
One example is the company's patent on a mouse wheel that can scroll up and down; another is its patent on double-clicking buttons. The company received its 5,000th patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office in March 2006, and is currently approaching the 10,000 mark.
Talkback Most Recent of 186 Talkback(s)
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Userama29th Aug 2008 -
OldGuru2nd Sep 2008 -
From the Horse's Mouth...
"If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today's ideas were invented, and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete standstill today."
Bill Gates - Challenges and Strategy Memo (16 May 1991)
Your Mom 2.03rd Sep 2008 -
Web Smart3rd Sep 2008 -
I'm going to patent sexual intercourse now.
That's right. Putting penis into vagina and thrusting in and out until ejaculation was my idea. So now I must be paid royalties whenever somebody engages in copulation. I will soon have more money than even Gates...yes. So go on guys and mount your girlfriends while I laugh all the way to the bank.
AtomicFusion5th Sep 2008 -
Doggy style patent
I hold Doggy style patent. I am going to visit your bedrooms regularly to make sure you do not violate my patent.
Rin, I love youWeb Smart11th Sep 2008 -
Ha ha ha ha... It made my day
Very funny!
ffajardo311th Sep 2008 -
Sexual Intercourse 2.0
That was too funny!
But you had to patent it before Microsoft does and comes out with Sexual Intercourse 2.0 upgrade which covers all the bug fixes of Sexual Intercourse 1.0 plus a few interesting extras.
LOL!
odracyr@...11th Sep 2008 -
...and what does a "license" for that get me?
If it requires a holographic label tattooed on the "work area", I will consider piracy a practical option.
Dan0man30th Dec 2008 -
I demand patent reform!
This obvious abuse of prior art is a shining example why the patent offices should reject all M$ applications going forward and invalidate its existing so called patents.
Linux Geek29th Aug 2008 -
ye29th Aug 2008 -
Twice fixed
"I demand stupid patents because Microsoft patented them". Fixed that for you.
Hemlock Stones29th Aug 2008 -
tumblemumble11th Oct 2008 -
Huh?
So its Microsofts fault for applying for a patent that someone else grants? Its like saying "guns kill people", not "people kill people". anyone can apply for a patent so don't blame the person trying, blame the person granting them. Don't be jaelous, get off your butt and do something about it, like run for office to change the way the government does this? Hello is common sense out there, anywhere?
OhTheHumanity29th Aug 2008 -
I agree the patent system is broken, however MS have shown their evil by...
I agree to a point, however if there was a loophole that allowed you to get away with murder... like bringing someone on your property, killing them and claiming it was intrusion... you could probably get away with it due to legal loopholes, but would you still not blame the murderer for taking advantage? or would you blame the judges and say the murderer is innocent, its just the judge who let him go who is guilty... ? The laws need to be changed and I like your suggestion of getting involved, however those who take advantage of the laws... and more specifically take advantage of those less technical than themselves for profit gain of something obviously immoral.. they should also be condemned.
Microsoft is throwing in patents for **** they didnt invent, thats the first moral mistake... then secondly they are just bombarding the system with patents and then sooner or later its bound to run into someone not competent to make the decision. So they are basically preying on the human flaws, the incompetence, and mistakes to have monetary gain. Throw enough absurd patents for stuff that already exists, and sooner or later you will get one through by dumb luck. This of course is extremely expensive, but MS surely has a budget specifically for this purpose, and history has probably shown its a good business model, regardless of how immoral. Get one through and now every program and keyboard creator will pay royalties probably. The 1000 rejected patents were now paid for and they have one that will continue to bring in revenue and brand their logo on everything which is free advertising. "partners" they say, but its more like "victims of blackmale" based on an incompetent patent office, and a criminal minded MS.
brainphreak29th Aug 2008
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