RE: FN-FORUM: how many pages will broken after this?

date posted 1st September 2003 16:53

> I don't understand all this

Basically, a company (called Eolas) have patented 'opening and executing
an embedded program object' scary enough but their patent actually
specifically mentions images, sounds, animations amongst many other
things.

> - surely all browsers use either=20
> EMBED or OBJECT to get external objects into the page? So=20
> what did we do wrong? How could we have adhered any closer=20
> to standards? More importantly, what code are you stripping=20
> out and what are you replacing it with???

Nothing. This isn't about how you do it - standards are not the issue
here.

> This, along with countless other "news" items at the moment=20
> just seem like ultra FUD. I mean, what's the worse case=20
> scenario?

In theory, no more plug-in called content. Nothing pulled in from
outside the document and shown in-situ through a browser. Their patent
synopsis/abstract may mention 'program content' but patent law is not
absolute and 'program content' would be open to interpretation.

You could argue that SSI's are covered under this patent.

> We have to search and replace all our EMBED and=20
> OBJECT commands and re-upload?

No. The tag you use is irrelevant. You'd have to search all your EMBED
and OBJECT tags and replace them with nothing.

> We can't use external apps in=20
> browsers any more?

Might be. Watch this space, as they say.

Matt

---

Matt Edwards
Senior Designer
Victor Chandler Business Services

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