Yeah, consider i4i filed for their patent in June 1994, Microsoft filed in December 1994, i4i received their patent in 1998, Microsoft received their patent THIS WEEK.
So a 6 month difference in filing. an 11 year difference in being granted.
The US patent system is broken. They can't do the research required to look for prior art or overlapping claims, at least without falling behind even further than they already are.
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