Microsoft infringing on one of Apple Patents?


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Is Microsoft infringing on one of Apple’s patents?  Its no secret Microsoft uses transparent windows in its new Vista operating system, and while no one thought they came up with idea, no one looked to find out exactly who did. During one of my searches of Google’s Patent search they have I found a interesting patent by Apple.  The patent describes a situation where a window that covers another would allow a certain transparency when you move the window over another.  In their words:

“displaying a base image on said display screen of said computer system; and
displaying a translucent image on said display screen which covers at least a portion of said base image, wherein said covered portions of said base image are at least partially visible through said translucent image simultaneously with said translucent image, the translucent image being always non-reactive thereby precluding user performance of image operations with the translucent image and permitting user performance of image operations with said base image without regard to the overlying translucent image.”
Keep in mind I am not a patent researcher, and I am sure Apple is not going to sue Microsoft for abusing one of their patents, but it does at least look like Microsoft is abusing this patent. 

Check it out

Read more posts by Christopher Carey

June 22, 2007 | Filed Under Apple, Microsoft 

Comments

7 Responses to “Microsoft infringing on one of Apple Patents?”

  1. Ron S on MyAvatars 0.2 June 22nd, 2007 7:27 pm

    It’s an interesting read for sure, but doesn’t it just sound like someone’s nitpicking?

  2. Terence Chang on MyAvatars 0.2 June 23rd, 2007 1:56 am

    I don’t know about the it. I thought Linux’s KDE or GNOME already have that way before Mac.

    It will be interesting if Apple will sue Microsoft few years later.

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  4. Metagg on MyAvatars 0.2 June 26th, 2007 4:52 am

    A closer read of claims 1, 12, 31, 40, and 41 show that the patent actually talks about manipulating the window underneath the translucent window and therefore Windows Vista wouldn’t infringe. Since those claims are the controlling claims, anything else in the patent is mute and not applicatble. It would be a tough sell to try and make those claims read on what Vista does, nice try though…-Metagg

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  7. izlekop on MyAvatars 0.2 October 29th, 2008 7:51 am

    It would be a tough sell to try and make those claims read on what Vista does, nice try though

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