Quarterdeck Office Systems Inc has raised an eyebrow or two by applying for and being granted a patent on its technology for multitasking applications in a windowing environment, because it is thought that the patent could have implications for every developer with multiple bordered areas on its screens: in the words of the patent, the technology provides an environment in which off-the-shelf application programs can be written into selected windows of the windowing environment at high speed, the windowing technology being used by Quarterdeck in its DESQview multitasking environment; Quarterdeck went for a patent rather than copyright protection because it is not specific code but the methods used that it wanted protected, but the firm insists that it is not a predatory company that’s planning to go out and shut everybody down – it’s not our intention to be troublemakers.
