Microsoft has been granted a patent on 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' keystrokes.

[Pedro]

-{ Quote: "The software giant applied for the patent in 2005, and was granted it on August 19, 2008. US patent number 7,415,666 (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1%3Cbr%20%3E%3C/a%3E%20&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,415,666.PN.&OS=PN/7,415%3Cbr%20/%3E%20,666&RS=PN/7,415,666) describes "a method and system in a document viewer for scrolling a substantially exact increment in a document, such as one page, regardless of whether the zoom is such that some, all or one page is currently being viewed".

The patent's listed 'inventors' are Timothy Sellers, Heather Grantham and Joshua Dersch. However, Page Up and Page Down keyboard buttons have been in existence for at least quarter of a century, as evidenced by this image of a 1981 IBM PC keyboard (http://www.vintage-computer.com/images/83key.jpg). " }-
http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-218626.html

....

[Arup]

So for every move on PC, MS intends to patent and drive out open source.

[HAN]

What's next? Mr. Balmer patenting one of his movements? ???

[Espresso]

They're probably just trying to protect these ideas from patent trolls. I doubt if keyboard makers have anything to fear.

[AKAJohnDoe]

Pretty funny!

I wrote code that ran on IBM 2260 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_2260) devices (later ported to IBM 3270 devices) that used Page Up/ Page Down. That was in the 1970's. And I know the airlines running ACP (Airline Control program) had similar a decade prior, because I have seen it.

[chrisretusn]

The patent system is out of control.

[AKAJohnDoe]

But those of us who know enough COBOL or Assembler to prove that it was a pre-existing idea, already implemented, are getting older every day, although I believe that Steve Balmer and I may be the same age ....

[Searching_ _ _]

Patents are awarded by date of invention creation not who filed first. Although first to file has the lead.

If you can prove that it was pre-existent and your the inventor, sue.

I think I'm going to patent the spoon. No one has done it yet.

[AKAJohnDoe]

-{ Quote: "I think I'm going to patent the spoon. No one has done it yet." }-
Be sure to patent both varieties: the conventional spoon, and the one with the convex side inverted. Many people think you can simply turn the spoon over, but they are clearly two different devices.