On Monday, 1 September 2014 at 19:45:17 UTC, Walter Bright wrote:
> On 8/31/2014 11:59 PM, Paolo Invernizzi wrote:
>> Have you tried dropping the first two digit? 140196015 and 140196008?
>
> Actually, yes.
>
> When the holiday is over, I plan on contacting the USPTO by phone.

Being on holiday at a crucial moment is dangerous, do you remember how Bill Gates got his first big job that started it all? :-)

On 9/1/2014 1:39 PM, Russel Winder via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> Apart from some pension fund managers who have serious long term goals,
> the problem can be laid fairly and squarely at the feet of traders and
> hedge funds. They have horizons of minutes or months rather than decades
> and so have no concerns about long term viability just short term
> profit. The obsession with quarterly returns and growth in such
> timescales is all the proof needed of the problem.

The high P/E ratios for companies like Amazon are the counterexamples where investors are clearly valuing long term potential over short term results.

On Mon, 2014-09-01 at 21:01 +0000, Chris via Digitalmars-d wrote: […]
> Being on holiday at a crucial moment is dangerous, do you remember how Bill Gates got his first big job that started it all? :-)

Bill Gates' mother told the then IBM CEO to hire Microsoft?

-- 
Russel. ============================================================================= Dr Russel Winder      t: +44 20 7585 2200   voip: sip:russel.winder@ekiga.net 41 Buckmaster Road    m: +44 7770 465 077   xmpp: russel@winder.org.uk London SW11 1EN, UK   w: www.russel.org.uk  skype: russel_winder

On 9/1/2014 4:39 PM, Russel Winder via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> On Mon, 2014-09-01 at 16:06 -0400, Nick Sabalausky via Digitalmars-d
> wrote:
>> [Steps down from soapbox...]
>
> Don't, it's a good soapbox to shout from.
>

Yea, but I might catch vertigo!

It's not a very mobile soapbox either; can't get around while on it unless I just kinda stoop down, grab it and sorta hop around. And who's gonna put any stock in the words of some loony awkwardly getting around like that, huh? Nobody, I tell ya!

On Monday, 1 September 2014 at 20:02:41 UTC, Russel Winder via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> On Mon, 2014-09-01 at 19:49 +0000, Chris via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> […]
>> True, true. Most people don't realize / care about how all this stuff affects them. In fact, your average iPhone user will be quite happy with the corporate prison, as long as they can watch the latest shit on youtube.
>
> If it was an A-list celebrity having a sh!t, I suspect a lot of people
> would make a very serious amount of dosh.
>
> Apologies for the apparent cynicism, but it is really just reality
> (television) sinking home.

No worries, you're not being cynical. The word 'cynicism' is often used wrongly. It is usually used to shut up those who raise critical questions. And it's usually the real cynics who use this strategy.

You are just being sarcastic in your comments. And sarcasm usually means that someone does care, albeit s/he might be a bit frustrated. In fact, if you were cynical, you wouldn't even bother to write these comments, you wouldn't give a damn any more. The guys who wrote "Arbeit macht frei" ("Work makes (you) free") over the entrances to various concentration camps were cynical.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism_%28contemporary%29#Overview

On Monday, 1 September 2014 at 21:35:04 UTC, Russel Winder via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> On Mon, 2014-09-01 at 21:01 +0000, Chris via Digitalmars-d wrote:
> […]
>> Being on holiday at a crucial moment is dangerous, do you remember how Bill Gates got his first big job that started it all? :-)
>
> Bill Gates' mother told the then IBM CEO to hire Microsoft?
> 

Well, legend has it that he got the deal, because the DOS guy was on holidays. But your version is probably closer to the truth ;) I don't know how much truth is in the Wiki entry about this whole issue.

Russel Winder via Digitalmars-d <digitalmars-d@puremagic.com> wrote:
> "First to file not first to invent" – by the corporations for the corporations. This should tell you everything you need to know about technological innovation in the USA.

I think you misunderstood the "first to file" rule. In a strict "first to
file" system (like in the EU), any early disclosure counts as prior art.
First to file is only between two competing patent applications of an
undisclosed invention.
USA is a bit less strict and grants a grace period after disclosure.

On 8/26/2014 12:37 PM, Max Klyga wrote:
> Microsoft being microsoft again.
>
> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2014/0196015.html - DECLARATION OF LIFETIME OF
> RESOURCE REFERENCE
> This contains description of scoped classes, etc.
>
> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2014/0196008.html - IMMUTABLE OBJECT TYPES
>
> I really hope patent office will reject these applications.


Ok, I finally got the Patent Office on the horn.

They said this is an "ex partae" thing, where until the patent is granted, I am not allowed to be part of the process. Only after a patent is granted can I file a prior art notice.

However, I was able to notify the inventor, J. Duffy, of the prior art, and he acknowledged receipt of my email. He is legally obliged to notify the Patent Examiner of any relevant prior art.

I don't think there's anything I can do further at this point. We'll see what happens.

The status of the patent can be found at:

http://portal.uspto.gov/pair/PublicPair

Click on "Publication Number" and enter 20140196008 in the search box. Then click on "Image File Wrapper".

On Tue, 2014-09-02 at 13:10 -0700, Walter Bright via Digitalmars-d
wrote:
[…]
> Ok, I finally got the Patent Office on the horn.
> 
> They said this is an "ex partae" thing, where until the patent is granted, I am not allowed to be part of the process. Only after a patent is granted can I file a prior art notice.

[…]

Well this seems proof incontrovertible that the USA patent system is well bu######.

> However, I was able to notify the inventor, J. Duffy, of the prior art, and he acknowledged receipt of my email. He is legally obliged to notify the Patent Examiner of any relevant prior art.
> 
> I don't think there's anything I can do further at this point. We'll see what happens.
> 
> The status of the patent can be found at:
> 
> http://portal.uspto.gov/pair/PublicPair
> 
> Click on "Publication Number" and enter 20140196008 in the search box. Then click on "Image File Wrapper".

It seems that as ever the USPTO grants all well formed patent applications and leaves it to the courts to deal with validity. What a f##### up system totally biased in favour of lawyers making large profits in all circumstances.


Well done Walter for doing what can be done in such a stupid system.


-- 
Russel. ============================================================================= Dr Russel Winder      t: +44 20 7585 2200   voip: sip:russel.winder@ekiga.net 41 Buckmaster Road    m: +44 7770 465 077   xmpp: russel@winder.org.uk London SW11 1EN, UK   w: www.russel.org.uk  skype: russel_winder

On 9/2/2014 4:10 PM, Walter Bright wrote:
>
> They said this is an "ex partae" thing, where until the patent is
> granted, I am not allowed to be part of the process. Only after a patent
> is granted can I file a prior art notice.
>

Bureaucratic scams at their finest... :/

> However, I was able to notify the inventor, J. Duffy, of the prior art,
> and he acknowledged receipt of my email. He is legally obliged to notify
> the Patent Examiner of any relevant prior art.
>

Bureaucratic inefficiency and insanity at their finest... :/

Doesn't this go AGAINST the USPTO's very own current rules? At least according to what Joel on Software said regarding "Ask Patents".

Fucking USPTO.