[EBOB-DISCUSS] Microsoft Patent - claims Object bench as its own making

[Ed G. <ed...@vx...>]

Hi,
I don't know if this project is active or if this is the right e-mail 
but it seems microsoft have filed a patent which basicly says they made 
the object bench first and that it is theirs. If they do this then it 
surely invalidates your project and BlueJ, hopefully you can help stop 
this happening.

Patent Request link:
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20060101406.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060101406&RS=DN/20060101406

Digg:
http://digg.com/software/Microsoft_copies_features_attempts_to_patent

Blue J news on this issue:
http://www.bluej.org/mrt/?p=21

E.Gray - BlueJ user.