6 ms·

What I want to know is why does is this patent referenced by a Microsoft patent that is completely unrelated? http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265 http://

What I want to know is why does is this patent referenced by a Microsoft patent that is completely unrelated? http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265 http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265 Does Microsoft think the patent system is a joke?

tamasnet 14y ago
I love the fact that this same MS patent also references "Method of exercising a cat" http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036 http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036.
cskau 14y ago
Also seems to reference 'Method of exercising a cat', http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036 http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036
rfrey 14y ago
Passive-aggressive gesture by the engineers after being strong-armed into working through the application?
bhavin 14y ago
I went through both Samsung and MSFT patents that 'refer' to this patents. This patent, in both cases, is cited by the examiner. So, my idea behind that is the examiner either didn't like his job or had a good sense of humor about whole patent process!
- DigitalJack 14y ago
  Or it was a form of protest. Those patents are now tied to absurdist humor forever.
mherdeg 14y ago
Could this have been a joke by the patent examiner who handled the document? If you look very closely at this Microsoft patent document (http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265?printsec=abstract#...), on page 2, you'll see that the reference to the swing patent has an asterisk next to it. The document says, specifically, on page 2: … 6,368,227 B1* 4/2002 Olson…472/118 … * cited by examiner A handful of other the "cited by examiner" references are to apparently useful references (other patents that cover antipiracy stuff). Dunno why the examiner would add the swing patent unless perhaps they thought their system was a joke? Or am I misreading what the asterisk means? (The examiner also cited the "method of exercising a cat" patent in this document.)
mcgwiz 14y ago
Perhaps human error with the USPTO data entry system. Or, as others have said, as a joke.

tamasnet 14y ago

I love the fact that this same MS patent also references "Method of exercising a cat" http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036 http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036.

cskau 14y ago

Also seems to reference 'Method of exercising a cat', http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036 http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5443036

rfrey 14y ago

Passive-aggressive gesture by the engineers after being strong-armed into working through the application?

bhavin 14y ago

I went through both Samsung and MSFT patents that 'refer' to this patents. This patent, in both cases, is cited by the examiner. So, my idea behind that is the examiner either didn't like his job or had a good sense of humor about whole patent process!

DigitalJack 14y ago
Or it was a form of protest. Those patents are now tied to absurdist humor forever.

mherdeg 14y ago

Could this have been a joke by the patent examiner who handled the document? If you look very closely at this Microsoft patent document (http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US8181265?printsec=abstract#...), on page 2, you'll see that the reference to the swing patent has an asterisk next to it. The document says, specifically, on page 2: … 6,368,227 B1* 4/2002 Olson…472/118 … * cited by examiner A handful of other the "cited by examiner" references are to apparently useful references (other patents that cover antipiracy stuff). Dunno why the examiner would add the swing patent unless perhaps they thought their system was a joke? Or am I misreading what the asterisk means? (The examiner also cited the "method of exercising a cat" patent in this document.)

mcgwiz 14y ago

Perhaps human error with the USPTO data entry system. Or, as others have said, as a joke.