Microsoft XML serialization patent

I just came upon an incredible thing. It seems that microsoft has filed a U.S. Patent Application for XML serialization. I'm sort of dumbfounded at this. Truth be told I've seen a lot of even more ridiculous patents but somehow this strikes closer to home. I'm really at a loss to appreciate the ramifcations of this - if any. Robert Ramey http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p= 1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=20040261020.PGNR.

Jonathan Turkanis wrote:
The link works for me when I reassemble the line. Here's a tinyurled version of the link: http://tinyurl.com/48bmk HTH, m

Robert Ramey wrote:
Maybe this link is better: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20040261020&OS=20040261020&RS=20040261020 Jonathan
participants (3)
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Jonathan Turkanis
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Martin Wille
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Robert Ramey