Microsoft wins XML Patent.

Microsoft has been granted a controversial patent over the use of XML in word processing documents by the New Zealand Patent office.

However, the chair of the Open Source Society, Peter Harrison, has said he will be lodging an appeal as soon as possible. An Auckland man, Michael Seadon, also says he has prior art that may prove the use of XML in word processing documents has been going on long before Microsoft asked for its patent to be granted.

Harrison says however that Microsoft’s attempt to patent an XML schema flies in the face of the reason XML was created. "XML was designed to increase interoperability between systems and Microsoft’s attempt to patent one process undermines the reason XML was introduced in the first place."

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