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As far as I know, MSFT doesn't have a trademark on the term "window" as used to describe objects in a GUI. They have a trademark on the term "Windows" as a whole system.

Same reason you can buy "linux" laundry detergent.

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Windows began as an installable GUI, target than a whole system. It was only in 1995 that it started doing more than windowing.

Ahem, 'target' should be 'rather'. Hooray autocorrect.

Even so, their trademark in that case was on the windowing system. Not on the UI elements generally called "windows".

I'm going to flat disagree that windowing systems and window UI elements are separate fields of endeavor, in the same way that laundry detergent and computer Operating Systems are. I think most lawyers would too.

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