"In what is described as yet another example of how patents can kill or inhibit standards, a patent has come to light that was granted to Microsoft in the year 2000 that looks surprisingly similar to IPv6 (the next-gen IP standard that is starting, slowly, to be taken up in some parts of the world). And several Microsoft engineers, named on the patent just happenned to be part of the IPv6 group for the IETF..."Microsoft criticised for 'IPv6-like' patentThe software giant has come under fire for 'yet another example of how patents can kill or inhibit standards'An anti-patent organisation criticised Microsoft on Wednesday for filing a patent with a claimed similarity to IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol.The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT), an organisation that works to protect the public from damage caused by the patent system, claims that a patent that Microsoft filed a few years ago is invalid as it failed to disclose prior work done by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).Read the source for more.On a side note, just a short while back, M$ began attempting to patent XML, Double-Clicking, and several other common computer related items.http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39192452,00.htmDios mio no tienen nada mejor que hacer...