OT: Internet Rich Applications Patent Granted

[Dan Shafer]

Swami......

Not legal advice but informed business counsel from someone with a
background in intellectual property law. Take it for what you pay for
it.

Software patents are a huge pit. For many years, the USPTO has had a
shortage of people qualified to review such applications. As a result,
it has adopted an informal policy of granting any software patent that
isn't on its face just stupid. (Which doesn't really explain this one,
but there you have it.) Then if someone complailns, let the courts
sort it out.

Not having read the patent, I will say that if I had a company doing
this kind of work (and I do), I'd pause long enough to choke on the
idiocy of the patent being granted and get back to work. If and when
this patent gets prosecuted, it won't be against a small company.
Outfits that patent these kinds of things go after huge fish first and
hope everyone else falls into line thereafter. I doubt any big fish is
going to go for this one.

FWIW and all the usual disclaimers about my advice not being worth
spit incorporated herein by reference.

On 2/24/06, Sivakatirswami <katir at hindu.org> wrote:
> http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?
> articleID=180206472&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News
>
> [snip]
>
> "How broad is the patent? Here's what the patent abstract says it
> covers: A host computer, containing processes for creating rich-media
> applications, is accessed from a remote user computer system via an
> Internet connection. User account information and rich-media
> component specifications are uploaded over the Internet for a
> specific user account. Rich-media applications are created, deleted,
> or modified in a user account, with rich-media components added to,
> modified in, or deleted from the rich-media application based on
> information contained in a user request. After creation, the rich-
> media application is viewed or saved on the host computer system, or
> downloaded to the user computer system over the Internet."
>
> Amazing...I'm got a patent pending too: "I hearby patent the process
> of grinding of grain to produce a fine, powder like substance, mix
> with water and yeast and bake it."  My lawyers will be asking you
> where you got your sandwich...
>
> Seriously, (as we are right in the middle of building such an app...)
> do we need to take it seriously?
>
> Gov of India was smart to recently document all prior art for 1000's
> of indigenous plants and medicines.
>
> Sivakatirswami
>
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--
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Dan Shafer, Information Product Consultant and Author
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