Latest Bit of Insanity in the World of Patent Law

[40hz]

Are you ready for this?

A Florida based company called Channel Intelligence is asserting that they hold a patent (US Patent 6,917,941 ) giving them exclusive rights to store "wish lists" in a database. They are also selectively targeting over a dozen small web startups for lawsuits - although they have conspicuously avoided any legal action (so far) against bigger players (such as Amazon) who have the resources to fight back.

See the posting Channel Intelligence files patent law suit against wishlist web startups
at the following link: http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/Channel-Intelligence-files-patent-law-suit-against-wishlist-web-startups--/111129

When will it ever end?

[TucknDar]

Damn, why didn't I get a patent on the use of .com in website addresses, I'd be so rich 

[Shades]

Of course I am talking to the wrong crowd here ( ), but the only time this behavior will stop is when greed, laziness and the 'me, myself and I" mentality leaves everyone's mind.

Actually, for this (global) state of mind the one's to blame are....the Dire Straits! (mainly because they even sang about: "Money for nothing and chicks for free"). Now who wouldn't want that?  

Unfortunately, but it is fair to assume that we all had to learn the hard (and maybe harsh) way about the value of money earned. I like to think those lessons made me a better person, but lately I don't see that (new) parents teach those lessons to their kids anymore...which results in the kind of society we are facing now. And (fill this space with the deity you prefer) knows what's in store for the future.

Ok,ok, I'll stop ranting now...after everybody gets off my lawn!!!

[Shades]

@ TucknDar:

If we go that way....I wish I had the patent for the binary number system. With the money pouring in from that one I could buy the Bill Gates mansion as my own personal holiday resort with him as my butler! 

[TucknDar]

clever thinking, Shades

[cranioscopical]

I wish I had the patent for the binary number system

That does make one think a bit.

[40hz]

Actually, for this (global) state of mind the one's to blame are....the Dire Straits! (mainly because they even sang about: "Money for nothing and chicks for free"). Now who wouldn't want that?  

Can't speak for the money, but I wouldn't want any chicks - for free or otherwise. Our local zoning laws don't permit poultry keeping on residential lots. And my town's animal shelter won't take livestock.

[Shades]

I wish I had the patent for the binary number system

That does make one think a bit.

I will zero in on that one 

[cranioscopical]

I wish I had the patent for the binary number system

That does make one think a bit.

I will zero in on that one 

I thought you might byte. 

[cranioscopical]

Actually, for this (global) state of mind the one's to blame are....the Dire Straits! (mainly because they even sang about: "Money for nothing and chicks for free"). Now who wouldn't want that? 

Can't speak for the money, but I wouldn't want any chicks - for free or otherwise. Our local zoning laws don't permit poultry keeping on residential lots. And my town's animal shelter won't take livestock.

Who would cry fowl, unless there were Private Investigations?

[Shades]

And after that 'the Brothers in Arms' will take care of your imprisonment I'm sure.

[cranioscopical]

Where do you think you're going with that?

[Shades]

To the 'Sultans of Swing'?

Maybe they will lend a forgiving ear and declare the sentence NULL and void...

[40hz]

Actually, for this (global) state of mind the one's to blame are....the Dire Straits! (mainly because they even sang about: "Money for nothing and chicks for free"). Now who wouldn't want that? 

Can't speak for the money, but I wouldn't want any chicks - for free or otherwise. Our local zoning laws don't permit poultry keeping on residential lots. And my town's animal shelter won't take livestock.

Who would cry fowl, unless there were Private Investigations?

INS might. They're the ones who deal with Illegal Avians. 

[cranioscopical]

Who would cry fowl, unless there were Private Investigations?

INS might. They're the ones who deal with Illegal Avians. 

Now you're just egging me on. Many illegal avians are just fleeing the yolk of oppression. A sympathetic INS agent may have a gun but he won't pullet until he sees the whites of their eyes.

[40hz]

Who would cry fowl, unless there were Private Investigations?

INS might. They're the ones who deal with Illegal Avians. 

Now you're just egging me on. Many illegal avians are just fleeing the yolk of oppression. A sympathetic INS agent may have a gun but he won't pullet until he sees the whites of their eyes.

Then at least they have a Flicker of hope. Otherwise they'd have to duck.

[Deozaan]

Here's my latest coding project, inspired by this thread and that old familiar Lamb Chop song:

Code: (php)

while (true)
{
 print "this is the pun that never ends. Yes it goes on and on my friend! \n";
 print "Cranioscopical starting saying it, knowing full well what it was, \n";
 print "and Shades and 40hz joined in repeating just because \n";
}

[cranioscopical]

Who would cry fowl, unless there were Private Investigations?

INS might. They're the ones who deal with Illegal Avians. 

Now you're just egging me on. Many illegal avians are just fleeing the yolk of oppression. A sympathetic INS agent may have a gun but he won't pullet until he sees the whites of their eyes.

Then at least they have a Flicker of hope. Otherwise they'd have to duck.

Eider that or it'd be their swan song. 

Patent Law

Hi Jack!
I'm certainly learning a lot about that in this thread...

[cranioscopical]

Here's my latest coding project, inspired by this thread and that old familiar Lamb Chop song:

Code: (php)

while (true)
{
 print "this is the pun that never ends. Yes it goes on and on my friend! \n";
 print "Cranioscopical starting saying it, knowing full well what it was, \n";
 print "and Shades and 40hz joined in repeating just because \n";
}

Deozaan, that's cruel and unusual punishment... but clever 

[40hz]

Eider that or it'd be their swan song. 

To cranioscopial: I'm down with that! 
(Observation - I think we're gonna get into trouble if this goes on much longer.)

To Deozaan:
1. I'd suggest redoing line #1 to read: while (it never ends)
2. Add :

define procedure: TWIT
          where user is (cranioscopical,40hz,Shades)
               do while (offtopic=true)
                   delpost
               end
end: TWIT

BTW: Was that Lamb Chop as in Sherri Lewis?
             

[Deozaan]

BTW: Was that Lamb Chop as in Sherri Lewis?

The website says Mally (Mallory) Lewis & Lamb Chop.

[40hz]

BTW: Was that Lamb Chop as in Sherri Lewis?

The website says Mally (Mallory) Lewis & Lamb Chop.

Ah. Her daughter! Another cute redhead. (Just like Mom.)

Here's Mom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N445qz-Uepo&feature=related

[Deozaan]

BTW: Was that Lamb Chop as in Sherri Lewis?

The website says Mally (Mallory) Lewis & Lamb Chop.

Ah. Her daughter! Another cute redhead. (Just like Mom.)

Here's Mom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N445qz-Uepo&feature=related

That's right! It's been so long since I've seen it that I forgot what she looked like. I guess that Mally doing the show solves my confusion about having heard that the lady had passed away some years ago and wondering why there was still a dedicated website to the show..

[40hz]

BTW: Was that Lamb Chop as in Sherri Lewis?

The website says Mally (Mallory) Lewis & Lamb Chop.

Ah. Her daughter! Another cute redhead. (Just like Mom.)

Here's Mom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N445qz-Uepo&feature=related

That's right! It's been so long since I've seen it that I forgot what she looked like. I guess that Mally doing the show solves my confusion about having heard that the lady had passed away some years ago and wondering why there was still a dedicated website to the show..

Now if Diana Rigg (aka Emma Peel ) could just find a way to clone herself I'd really be all set. 

[40hz]

Hopefully there's hope?

Just read an interesting article that offers new hope that the nonsense will someday stop.

The Death of Google's Patents

By John F. Duffy* [PDF Version (42 KB)]

The Patent and Trademark Office has now made clear that its newly developed position on patentable subject matter will invalidate many and perhaps most software patents, including pioneering patent claims to such innovators as Google, Inc.

In a series of cases including In re Nuijten, In re Comiskey and In re Bilski, the Patent and Trademark Office has argued in favor of imposing new restrictions on the scope of patentable subject matter set forth by Congress in § 101 of the Patent Act.  In the most recent of these three—the currently pending en banc Bilski appeal—the Office takes the position that process inventions generally are unpatentable unless they “result in a physical transformation of an article” or are “tied to a particular machine.”[1] Perhaps, the agency has conceded, some “new, unforeseen technology” might warrant an “exception” to this formalistic test, but in the agency’s view, no such technology has yet emerged so there is no reason currently to use a more inclusive standard.[2]

Link at: http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2008/07/the-death-of-go.html