To allow use of EQ textures and objects how about a program, and pakage format to create a new s3d file, then insert components from the EQ files along with the home made stuff. You end up with the finished s3d file that can't be distributed, but it is legal to make it and use it.

Too bad they stole the .doc name from the text file/bbs people eh? I remember when you could use edit to open .doc files, not anymore. People think you are crazy!

Just an observation here, but with regards to saying file formats cannot be patented, Microsoft have patented the ASF wrapper format (US pat #6,041,345) according to VirtualDub, a popular video manipulation tool.

Don't ask me for details, because I have none, but that seems to be an outright patenting of a file format, and not even a codec, just a wrapper format for the codecs they use.

I called up the patent on the US Patent Office's web site. Here's the link to this patent:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...;RS=PN/6041345

Apparently the .ASF format incorporates some new technolgy or technique for coordinating multiple data streams. They're not just patenting the format, but it's way of accomplishing what it does.

The .S3D format doesn't do anything new, and any patent claim would last about ten seconds before someone shouted "prior art". It doesn't have anything on .ZIP (or even .ARC for that matter).

This is what I mean by "you can't patent a file format". You can only patent a technology, not a particular implementation of that technology. For Microsoft fo patent .DOC, the .DOC format would have to include some novel technology ("invention").

WC