Habe gerade folgendes an das USPTO gemailt.
Halte Euch über Reaktion / Antworten auf dem Laufenden...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
excuse me;
GOOD GRIEF, people!!!!!!!!
Most of you must be cognizant of the international controversy
surrounding USPTO policy on patentability of software and algorithms.
Now your official Thomas R. Peeny has gone and granted Microsoft a
patent on
'Administrative security systems and methods'
pursuant to a rambling and imprecise application document delineating
nothing more or less than Microsoft's implementation of a mechanism
that is extremely old - by computer standards. The document also
seems to imply aspirations on Microsoft's part to claim priority for
other operating systems, as well - an aspect that makes not just me
extremely nervous.
Temporary accrual of administrative rights for non-administrator
users dates back to the first administrators frustrated with
logoff/login orgies when doing something at one of the 'normal' user
terminals in the course of their work. I can remember something along
those lines back when our mainframe at Dartmouth was a GE 325 ( ...or
was it the -625?).
Not just the basic concept, but indeed a great number of
well-conceived refinements to the concept, predate by far Microsoft's
alleged 'invention' (actually called 'runas').
In the UNIX-world the command 'sudo' has been around since 1980 or
1981. It is public domain for goodness sakes.
So has Solaris' RBAC and Novell's Super / SV. 'su' is also floating
around somewhere out there...
Remember novelty? Remember non-obviousness?
For that matter: Remember impartiality?!
What's gonna be next? A patent on 'Operating System'?
Are you surprised if I must ask myself whether your officials are
really doing their best to help make the USA the laughingstock
internationally?
Or must I see this as another step on the path begun at the
inauguration of the present administration, with the subsequent,
quick but quiet demise of the anti-trust cases against Microsoft?
I am posting copies of this mail to various other interested parties.
I am certain that they will be as highly expectant of your reaction
and reply, and remain,
Yours sincerely,
<DerEb>
Halte Euch über Reaktion / Antworten auf dem Laufenden...
Ladies and Gentlemen,
excuse me;
GOOD GRIEF, people!!!!!!!!
Most of you must be cognizant of the international controversy
surrounding USPTO policy on patentability of software and algorithms.
Now your official Thomas R. Peeny has gone and granted Microsoft a
patent on
'Administrative security systems and methods'
pursuant to a rambling and imprecise application document delineating
nothing more or less than Microsoft's implementation of a mechanism
that is extremely old - by computer standards. The document also
seems to imply aspirations on Microsoft's part to claim priority for
other operating systems, as well - an aspect that makes not just me
extremely nervous.
Temporary accrual of administrative rights for non-administrator
users dates back to the first administrators frustrated with
logoff/login orgies when doing something at one of the 'normal' user
terminals in the course of their work. I can remember something along
those lines back when our mainframe at Dartmouth was a GE 325 ( ...or
was it the -625?).
Not just the basic concept, but indeed a great number of
well-conceived refinements to the concept, predate by far Microsoft's
alleged 'invention' (actually called 'runas').
In the UNIX-world the command 'sudo' has been around since 1980 or
1981. It is public domain for goodness sakes.
So has Solaris' RBAC and Novell's Super / SV. 'su' is also floating
around somewhere out there...
Remember novelty? Remember non-obviousness?
For that matter: Remember impartiality?!
What's gonna be next? A patent on 'Operating System'?
Are you surprised if I must ask myself whether your officials are
really doing their best to help make the USA the laughingstock
internationally?
Or must I see this as another step on the path begun at the
inauguration of the present administration, with the subsequent,
quick but quiet demise of the anti-trust cases against Microsoft?
I am posting copies of this mail to various other interested parties.
I am certain that they will be as highly expectant of your reaction
and reply, and remain,
Yours sincerely,
<DerEb>