I can't get Jim's link to work, but it looks like an article lifted from an old Onion article:

http://www.theonion.com/onion3311/microsoftpatents.html

Art


*********************
Art Frank
Manager of Information Systems
OHS Foundation
[log in to unmask] 
(503) 220-8320


>>> Jim Phillips <[log in to unmask]> 03/30/01 08:21AM >>>
[log in to unmask]" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com@[log in to unmask] 

"REDMOND, WA--In what CEO Bill Gates called "an unfortunate but necessary
step to protect our intellectual property from theft and exploitation by
competitors," the Microsoft Corporation patented the numbers one and zero
Monday."

:-)