On Thu, 3 May 2018 11:02:00 -0700, Adrian Klaver <adrian.klaver@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >On 05/03/2018 09:47 AM, George Neuner wrote: >> >> ..., 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. > >Not seeing it: > >http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=microsoft&FIELD1=AANM&co1=AND&TERM2=csv&FIELD2=&d=PTXT That's the patent database. Microsoft tried to get a *copyright*. I don't recall whether it was granted [I don't believe it was], and this would have been circa ~1990, so it's hard to search for in any case. Unlike the patent database, the copyright database does not contain the protected material - it only gives archival references to it. It generated quite a bit of negative press coverage at the time. The basis of Microsoft's argument was that "x + y" was a unique and protectable expression of the addition concept because it could have been done in other ways, e.g., by "add(x,y)". George
