Taskbar grouping patented by MS - Mentions kde-look ml as reference

[Karl-Heinz Zimmer]

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Am Samstag, 3. Juli 2004 02:10 schrieb Pupeno:
> On Friday July 2 2004 07:10, Torsten Rahn wrote:
> > http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&
> >
> > http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=113191&threshold=2&commentsort=0&ti
> >d=15 5&mode=nested&cid=9589101
>
> So, what happens now ? taskbar grouping will have to be removed from KDE
> ? Where does this patent apply ? USA ? world ?

Even worse: They also have patented the _taskbar_ itself!

see: United States Patent 5920316
filed November 4, 1997
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN%2F5920316

Wasn't there any "taskbar with Start menu button" prior-art before 1997?

Karl-Heinz
- -- 
Karl-Heinz         <mailto:khz at indeview.org>        <mailto:khz at kde.org>
  Zimmer                I n d e V i e w                    K D E
  Föhren       Presentations Beyond Limitations     Conquer your Desktop
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