Am 25.11.2004 um 07:41 schrieb Ned Konz:

> I wonder if we'll have to pay royalties on #~~ now...
>
>
No.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compiler is a BASIC-derived  
programming language compiler.

If you language is not basic-derived, you are save. The "invention" 
isn't "isNot" but "isNot" for BASIC.

And the best:

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the source code comprises at least 
one statement, and the statement comprises a keyword representing the  
operator, the keyword recognized by the scanner.

So even if you have a isNot in your BASIC, just change your compiler to 
not recognize it in the Scanner as an Operator, but add it to the 
Grammar
and let the parser do the work. Puff, not in the scope of the patent 
any more.

This patent is not only evil, trivial so on, but *very* *very* badly 
written, as it takes only a second to find a workaround.

       Marcus