When Patents Attack

[xenou]

There was an interesting radio program on IT patents today ("When Patents Attack"):
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/when-patents-attack

If nothing else, one has to be amazed that even in the year 2000 there was a patent filed for toast (patent number 6080436, "Bread Refreshing Method."). By analogy, things that everyone involved in IT does, and makes up a part of the most ordinary activities (such as starting a website) involved technologies that somebody, somewhere, owns a patent for - examples mentioned in the program were providing software patches over the internet, and backing up files remotely.

A short write up (if you don't have time to listen):
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/07/22/138576167/when-patents-attack

My reaction to it all:
{sigh}

ξ

 

[Hermanito]

Can't get to the first link here, so I read the story on the second one...
UGLY business... imho, if this doesn't get resolved, this will seriously hurt the software industry

I think software patents should be abolished altogether, but meanwhile, under the motto 'if you can't beat them, join them', I've filed for the following patent in my name:
"Method to obtain solutions for software problems by asking help from experts in message boards."

Prepare to make me rich!!

 

[Greg Truby]

Thanks, Xenou. A most interesting broadcast. I knew this was going on, but I didn't know how brazenly shameless much of this is. My favorite part was in the 39th minute where a guy that's supposedly a lead patent counsel claims he's not familiar with the US Patent Office's website. That's priceless.