The RSS Blog

News and commentary from the RSS and OPML community.

Some random thoughts on Microsoft's two RSS patents.

  • There are two patents Content syndication platform and Finding and consuming web subscriptions in a web browser.
  • Patent numbers 20060288329 and 20060288011.
  • Filed June 21, 2005.
  • The first patent describes a feed cache that exposes an API for use by 3rd party applications.
  • Feedster, a feed cache with an exposed API for 3rd party applications, was created in 2003.  Feedster also provided search facilities, which is the part we all remember, but you could also use the Feedster API to retrieve caches of an RSS feed.
  • A major difference between Feedster and Microsoft's RSS platform is that Feedster was web-based and the RSS platform is a native service. 
  • FeedCache.net, another web-based feedcache was created in 2005 or 2006. The service doesn't seem to be supported well. I inquired about using it via email and directly with Tucows, but they never once responded to my inquiries, so I can't be entirely sure that it even worked.
  • Claim 3 talks about converting the RSS from different formats to a common format. This was also done by Feedster.
  • FeedBurner is also a feed cache, but it provides publisher services, rather than consumer services. FeedBurner is also capable of translating RSS formats, but from any-to-any.
  • It would seem there's a lot of prior art and that most, if not all, of the claims in the first patent are not inventions.
  • The 2nd patent describes the subscription process within the Web browser.
  • USM (documented by me) and Feed URI scheme (documented by an employee of Microsoft) allowed this.
  • Joe Gregorio first described automatic subscription in the Web browser back in 2003.
  • I don't have a reference for when feed URI scheme came about, but I believe it started as a feature in the Safari Web browser. Please post a reference link in the comments.
  • NewsGator and Bloglines have long provided APIs for adding, deleting and managing subscriptions.
  • It would seem there's a lot of prior art and that most, if not all, of the claims in the second patent are not inventions.
  • MHO is that the patents are invalid and if challenged would be voided.
Reader Comments Subscribe
who did you send your questions about feedcache to?

-ross
oops...hit save before I was done...serves me right to play poker and blog at the same time :)

Feedcache is definitely alive and well - wish it had more use externally, but we're making good use of it over here at the farm. If you have any questions, let me know.
I sent emails, I left questions on the Farm blog and talked face-to-face with Joey.

The FeedCache wiki homepage was defaced twice since December 7th. It remained defaced for 19 days until today when I mentioned it here and sent Joey an email about the defacement. I hope you understand why I said it doesn't appear to be supported.

Randy
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