Published at LXer:

Lordy, lordy, lordy. They have no shame. It appears that Microsoft has just patented sudo, a personalized version of it. Here it is, patent number7617530. Thanks, USPTO, for giving Microsoft, which is already a monopoly, a monopoly on something that's been in use since 1980 and wasn't invented by Microsoft. Here's Wikipedia's description of sudo, which you can meaningfully compare to Microsoft's description of its "invention". This is why what the US Supreme Court does about software patents means so much. Hopefully they will address the topic in their decision on Bilski. Sudo is an integral part of the functioning of GNU/Linux systems, and you use it in Mac OSX also. Maybe the Supreme Court doesn't know that, and maybe the USPTO didn't realize it. But do you believe Microsoft knows it?

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Well, this is what M$ does, and what they're good at. They will patent Linux eventually and Mac, and every other OS. They are the evil empire.

I don't know which is worse, the fact that Microsoft thought it could patent sudo or the fact that the USPTO actually granted the patent.

H_TexMex_H, I think this servers as a primo example of my contention that the government isn't out to get us, but is as mind boggling incompetent as is humanly imaginable. And then some.

You could say that M$ is incompetent ... and you would be right ... but they are also evil and so is the gubmint.

down with the evil empire !