[Nemesis6]

Microsoft just received confirmation of a patent that hands the company the intellectual property of shutting an operating system down.
I can’t quite recall how often Microsoft has talked about a faster way to shut down its operating system. It is part of the pitch of virtually every new operating system and it has remained an annoyance that it can take quite some time until the software in fact closes running applications and the operating system itself.
In August 2005, Microsoft filed for a patent to more efficiently shut down its Windows operating system as well as other operating systems, including Apple’s Mac OS X, and override running programs that may prevent Windows from closing. That particular feature has been implemented for some time in Windows and is known as the notification screen just before the actual shutdown, if a user has requested Windows to close and other programs with open and unsaved documents are still running.

http://www.conceivablytech.com/2530/products/microsoft-patents-operating-system-shutdown/

also, here: http://www.techdrivein.com/2010/09/microsoft-patents-operating-system.html

This is kind of absurd, huh? 

[Klaustrophobia]

i read somewhere that there are some thousands of patents per year for perpetual motion devices.  so this isn't all that surprising.

[S-99]

The day (even though it's already here) is coming soon that it will be illegal to build you're own equivalent stuff of whatever it is, since you can patent IDEAS, and not actual things.

Stifle competition, and stifle innovation. Microsoft's patent guarantee to you

[Liberator]

I have the fastest way to shutdown an OS ever, and it can't be patented.

Reach your hand down to the wall socket and pull out the plug.

[Nuke]

linux users should try to patent system startup now.

[Kosh]

Can't be any worse than this

[Klaustrophobia]

The day (even though it's already here) is coming soon that it will be illegal to build you're own equivalent stuff of whatever it is, since you can patent IDEAS, and not actual things.

Stifle competition, and stifle innovation. Microsoft's patent guarantee to you

not really true.  ask anyone in industry and they will tell you patents are essentially useless.  all they prevent is an EXACT copy of your product/idea.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

Microsoft operating systems actually shut down?  I thought you just hit that option to have it lock up or waited for a BSOD to reboot.

[Bobboau]

yeah it's called hitting the save button, the computer will BSOD before it has a chance to finish writing the file and reboot before you have the time to find out nothing on the screen will help you in any way.

[IceFire]

I have the fastest way to shutdown an OS ever, and it can't be patented.

Reach your hand down to the wall socket and pull out the plug.

Too late. I have a patent for unplugging things from plugs in walls

[Rodo]

If having patents makes them happy, then so be it.

Some companies have staff mettings to discuss ways of improving service and the likes, others have those just to figure out how to make one or two bucks more per week.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

* FUBAR-BDHR patents throwing the main breaker

Just in case I'm writing up ones for nuking the power plant and blocking all sunlight.

[Nuke]

i tried to patent taking a piss, but somone already beat me to it. so im going to try to patent masturbating, id be filty rich if that one goes through.

[headdie]

i tried to patent taking a piss, but somone already beat me to it. so im going to try to patent masturbating, id be filty rich if that one goes through.

can I negotiate a 1p per wank fee in that case

[qazwsx]

i tried to patent taking a piss, but somone already beat me to it. so im going to try to patent masturbating, id be filty rich if that one goes through.

can I negotiate a 1p per wank fee in that case

you'd be broke in no time

[Solace]

interesting

[headdie]

i tried to patent taking a piss, but somone already beat me to it. so im going to try to patent masturbating, id be filty rich if that one goes through.

can I negotiate a 1p per wank fee in that case

you'd be broke in no time

hey I'm not that bad!!!!!!! maybe.....

[Cyker]

Wat... How can there not be prior art for this?!

(Shutting down a PC, not masturbating. Although I'm sure masturbating also has quite extensive prior art...)

[S-99]

Microsoft should have had an extra patent to go along with this to cover masturbation. A lot of people at microsoft are masturbating over this patent. Time to get the employees to pay up.

yeah it's called hitting the save button, the computer will BSOD before it has a chance to finish writing the file and reboot before you have the time to find out nothing on the screen will help you in any way.

lulz

[qazwsx]

HLP: Software Patents to masturbating in under 15 posts...