Re: 1-Click, Short-Click, Long-Click, More-Clicks (New Microsoft Patent)

[Rahul Dhesi]

Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> writes:

>In article <c6rlbf$si0$1@blue.rahul.net>,
> c.c.eiftj@1-ClickXXS.usenet.us.com (Rahul Dhesi) wrote:

>> But unlike me, you seemd to imply, several times, that "open" and
>> "application" had obvious common meanings -- which meanings you have yet
>> to state with any prevision.

>An application is a computer program that performs a distinct activity.  
>Opening it is starting it running.

>These are common terms in the computer industry.  Since a patent is 
>supposed to be understandable by an industry professional, how far does 
>it have to go in defining common terms?

So now you see how that patent is disastrously broad -- it covers any
activity on a device that the user wishes were more powerful, caused by
a long press, that starts a distinct computer program.  If that isn't a
stupid patent, I don't know what is.

As to your comment about "common terms", did you know that "stuff" is
also a very common term?
-- 
Rahul