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Posted by Tim V. on 04/13/06 18:45
Nonymous <nospam@bucket.of.bits.com> wrote in
news:Xns979C4B6A07F46nonymous666@216.196.97.131:
>
> Even sadder is the U.S. Patent Office let Netflix 'patent' their
> 'business methodology'. I think Blockbuster should file a
> countersuit. Against the patent office.
My company is really big about patenting 'methodology', which I think is
bogus. Probably something lawyers thought up. Now, you can patent
ideas without having to create or produce anything. The whole idea
behind patents used to be to protect the design of a physical object.
At what point will it end?
Gee, I think I'll patent the idea of putting RF id's in all cars and
making a wireless grid to track them. Yeah... that's a great idea
that I'm sure has already been patented. The idea shouldn'd be
protected because it can be done mulitple ways. You should be
able to patent the RFI chip design, the means by which it communicates,
etc, but not the generalized idea itself.
The generalized idea of renting media via the internet and snail mail
should not be patentable. Perhaps BB is doing something beneath the
covers that is an infringement. WIth BB's money troubles, I'll bet
Netlfix really wants an out of court settlement.
--
Tim.
"Those who give up essential liberties for temporary safety deserve
neither
liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
"Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own
reputation. It is better to be alone than in bad company" - George
Washington
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