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USPTO Awards LOL Patent To IBM
,----[ Quote ]
| theodp writes "Among the last batch of
| patents granted in 2009 was one for IBM's
| Resolution of Abbreviated Text in an
| Electronic Communications System. The
| invention of four IBMers addresses the
| hitherto unsolvable problem of translating
| abbreviations to their full meaning â e.g.,
| 'IMHO' means 'In My Humble Opinion' â and
| vice versa. From the patent: 'One
| particularly useful application of the
| invention is to interpret the meaning of
| shorthand terms ... For example, one
| database may define the shorthand term "LOL"
| to mean "laughing out loud."' USPTO records
| indicate the patent filing was made more
| than a year after Big Blue called on the
| industry to stop what it called 'bad
| behavior' by companies who seek patents for
| unoriginal work. Yet another example of what
| USPTO Chief David Kappos called IBM's
| apparent schizophrenia on patent policy back
| when he managed Big Blue's IP portfolio."
`----
http://idle.slashdot.org/story/09/12/30/166220/USPTO-Awards-LOL-Patent-To-IBM
How Automakers Abuse Intellectual Property Laws To Force You To Pay More For Repairs
,----[ Quote ]
| There is no legitimate basis for this at
| all. It's a clear misuse of intellectual
| property laws -- which were never designed
| for this sort of thing -- to prevent
| independent auto mechanics from repairing
| newer cars. But it's the end result of the
| increasing creep of intellectual property
| rights, and the growing computerization of
| everything. It allows manufacturers to
| extend "IP" rights to physical goods, and
| create all sorts of new monopolies. In a
| perfect world, this wouldn't need a separate
| law. It would be a clear violation of
| antitrust laws. But, we don't live in a
| perfect world, and for the time being you're
| probably paying a lot more money to repair
| your car because of it.
`----
http://techdirt.com/articles/20091228/0345127515.shtml
Google Gets Patent For YouTube Gaming
,----[ Quote ]
| Let's start with an overview of the patent.
| As explained in the official application
| (hat tip to Erik Sherman), "The present
| invention includes systems and methods for
| modifying playback of online hosted videos
| via interactive annotations, allowing the
| creation of interactive games."
|
| [...]
|
| Considering that YouTube can already handle
| annotations and time markers, this concept
| would be easy enough to implement. That's
| one possible hurdle down.
`----
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/12/30/google-gets-patent-for-youtube-gaming
Recent:
IBM Patents Managing Your Patents
,----[ Quote ]
| theodp writes "Before leaving a long IBM career
| last summer to head the USPTO, David Kappos
| managed Big Blue's patent and trademark
| portfolios. Last Tuesday, the USPTO awarded
| U.S. Patent No. 7,630,915 to IBM for its
| inventive method of Managing an Intellectual
| Property Portfolio."
`----
http://techdirt.com/articles/20091216/1806457391.shtml
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