[attrition] The origin of the :-)

[security curmudgeon]

: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~sef/Orig-Smiley.htm
: 
: Original Bboard Thread in which :-) was proposed
: 
: Here is the original message posted by Scott Fahlman on 19 September, 1982
: 
: [..]

Courtesy of cji (one of the many attrition fluffers):

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/06/technology/06cingular.html

Cingular Seeks Patent on Icons in Text Messages
By MARIA ASPAN
Published: February 6, 2006

To their many users, emoticons those combinations of typed symbols used to 
depict a smiley or sad face in e-mail or text messages are worth a brief 
laugh. Now Cingular Wireless hopes they might be worth a little more.

According to recently released documents, Cingular applied provisionally 
for patents of shortcut steps used to transmit emoticons in 2004. Six 
months later, in March 2005, the company filed a claim to patent "a method 
and system for generating a displayable icon or emoticon form."

Cingular is the second major company to apply for patents for technology 
relating to emoticons, which are so common as punctuation marks in 
electronic communication that trying to patent them almost seems like 
trying to copyright a speech tic.

In January 2004, the Microsoft Corporation filed an application to patent 
"methods and devices for creating and transferring custom emoticons," or 
the special symbols created by individuals to electronically express their 
feelings. The United States Patent and Trademark Office published 
Microsoft's application last summer and Cingular's application on Jan. 19.

[..]


I would say that September of 1982 would fall under "prior work" and 
invalidate any such patent claims. In short, expect the USPO to grant such 
a patent to one of these companies.