On Wed, 2 May 2018 16:01:01 -0700, Adrian Klaver <adrian.klaver@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >On 05/02/2018 02:29 PM, Jim Michaels wrote: > >> >> - the microsoft patented CSV would be required for implementation. it >> handles special data with commas and double-quotes in them > >Huh?: >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values#History Disclaimer ... I haven't investigated the claim. However, I would not discount the possibility that Microsoft really has patented some variation of CSV. They absolutely did *try* to copyright the use of + and - symbols for specifying addition and subtraction operations in VisualBASIC. It's possible that they slipped something past the examiners. But more likely the use of a CSV-like format was specified to be part of a larger process. In that case the format itself might not be claimed, but rather only the *use* of the format for some specific purpose. IANAL, George
