[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Court Ban on Microsoft Word Won't Hurt Users here

[nordancer]

Most people still save in doc format b/c you must have late versions of Office. We could all survive without docx. The issue here is that many other implementations of XML infringe on this patent. Who's next? Sun?

[cpunks]

Correction: The article states "he’s also the only sitting federal judge who has a master’s degree in computer science" - this is incorrect. The judge has a Master of Management Science Degree instead - quite a different animal, and not necessarily as good of a qualification.
See:
http://www.universit...com/edu/MastersdegreesinManagementScience_General.html
http://www.txed.usco...s/Davis-Bio.htm

[TheLady]

I agree with the above correction. The biography does state, however, that the judge did work as a computer programmer and systems analyst before law school, so his knowledge of both software and law may give him some sort of advantage (or disadvantage, if you consider his insider knowledge a possible cause of bias) over other judges.

[rob3456]

Let me get this straight. You're saying Word is too big to fail so we should just let MS infringe upon patents and look the other way. Huh.

[JimSeattle]

Ahhh... they got a patent for that? There is prior art. OWL Guide for instance which was released almost 10 years before the date of the patent. That patent needs invalidated.

[drs99]

Good Question, who is next?

well I guess the next big players are Openoffice and other office applications that depend on XML :)!

Either way isn't the Texas government using Microsoft word anyway?

Now the next issue comes in as was a judge bias (he could of been Linux programmer...who knows)? and why Texas?

[cynch72]

Microsoft is the victim! What is wrong with you people?

[nordancer]

I'd take Microsoft anyday over these bloodsucking patent trolls..

[Jalek]

"Too big to fail" is a completely and entirely anti-market phrase. Anything with that classification must be a monopoly and need to be regulated.
Not the SEC regulation of the last administration, regulation where they actually show up for work.