Comment Not Patented Yet (Score 1) 720
The possiblity that Microsoft could patent such an invention is a bit worrisome, but I would caution that the title of the post is a bit misleading. The link indicates that Microsoft has not yet been granted a patent for this Is Not Operator. Instead, the link is to an active application that was published. According to the USPTO's Public PAIR system, this application has yet to be examined (no Office Actions have been mailed).
By the way, the USPTO has recently updated the Public Pair service so file wrappers for published applications (at least the more recent ones) can be viewed by the public. With all the talk of more robust examination, the new PAIR is a good way for public watchdogs to keep tabs on "patent" offenders, especially since many dubious applications are in art groups with significant delays that enable the publication of the application even before it is examined (such as this one).
