This stuff never seems to stop. I find it hard to beleive that IBM or Microsoft would stand still for something like this. Face it, XML is a straight derivative of SGML and it pre-dates 1997, so how exactly could you get a apply for a patent in 1997 and expect it to hold up?
Small company makes big claims on XML patents | Tech News on ZDNet
Charlotte, N.C.-based Scientigo owns two patents (No. 5,842,213 and No. 6,393,426) covering the transfer of “data in neutral forms.” These patents, one of which was applied for in 1997, are infringed upon by the data-formatting standard XML, Scientigo executives assert.Scientigo intends to “monetize” this intellectual property, Scientigo CEO Doyal Bryant said this week.