Slashdot Mirror

Ornamental design patent for a cello.

http://www.patents.com/us-d395912.html

US Patents on the electric violin seem to have started in 1932. And expired a long time ago.
http://www.digitalviolin.com/Patents.html
http://www.google.com/patents?id=cc1DAAAAEBAJ&hl=en&dq=1861717

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

Here are links to the 10 patents discussed in the case. I made it partway through one of them before I decided to go have a beer instead. Maybe someone else has more patience.

6,907,566 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,100,111 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,373,599 Method and system for optimum placement of advertisements on a webpage
7,668,861 System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network
7,269,590 Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user
7,599,935 Control for enabling a user to preview display of selected content based on another user's authorization level
7,454,509 Online playback system with community bias
5,983,227 Dynamic page generator
7,747,648 World modeling using a relationship network with communication channels to entities
7,406,501 System and method for instant messaging using an e-mail protocol

http://www.patents.com/us-6151309.html

Earliest date on the patent filing is April 1994, and it was issued in 2000. It appears to be describing Digital PCS, and sending data over the cellular network.

Everything it's describing can be done (and indeed has been done) on a TDMA network. TDMA was accepted as a standard in 1991, and I know for a fact (because I had the service) that Bell Canada was selling Digital PCS in 1993. While it didn't include some of the later claims (like real-time pricing information), it did have e-mail, SMS text messaging, digital telephony, and location services. (and as an aside, typing an e-mail out on a 2-line, 10-character fixed-width LCD display was teh suck)

However, the October 8th test reports are starting to come out and are looking more and more convincing: http://pesn.com/2011/10/08/9501929_E-Cat_Test_Validates_Cold_Fusion_Despite_Challenges/

The old way: You have to have invented the product or process and reduced it to practice, you have to file a patent application, and you have to have invented before other inventors.

The new way: You have to have invented the product or process and reduced it to practice, you have to file a patent application, and you have to have filed before other inventors.

Bullshit;

    Sony patents technique of beaming info into brain
    Posted 4/6/2005 3:02 PM
    [...]
    The U.S. patent, granted to Sony researcher Thomas Dawson[1], describes a technique
    for aiming ultrasonic pulses at specific areas of the brain to induce "sensory
    experiences" such as smells, sounds and images.
    [...]
    A Sony Electronics spokeswoman told the magazine that no experiments had been
    conducted, and that the patent "was based on an inspiration that this may someday
    be the direction that technology will take us".
    [...]

1. Method and system for generating sensory data onto the human neural cortex
        United States Patent 6,536,440

The real difference is that now the poor bastard who actually invents an implementable mind
beaming device will actually owe Sony Electronics every cent the invention makes.

They didn't patent an alphabet, they patented the systems that recognize the alphabet:

http://www.patents.com/us-6493464.html

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic handwriting recognition system[...]
2. An electronic handwriting recognition system[...]
3. An automated method[...]
4. An automated method[...]
5. A computer program[...]
6. A computer program[...]
7. The invention of claims 1 or 2[...]
8. The invention of claim 2[...]
9. The invention of claim 4[...]
10. The invention of claim 6[...]
11. An electronic handwriting recognition system[...]
12. An electronic handwriting recognition system[...]
13. An automated method[...]
14. An automated method[...]
15. A computer program[...]
16. A computer program[...]
17. A pen based computer[...]
18. A pen based computer[...]

All specify "an apparatus" or "a process". There isn't one "an alphabet" in the lot, though the recognizabilty of the alphabet may be a critical component in one of the claims.

Also, there's no way for anyone to enforce a patent on the way you write with your own hands. Only if you've designed a system to recognize what you're writing in particular by requiring it to be in that design of alphabet.

'That said, there's got to be a point at which we say "okay, so you made another GM rat with human genes. The process for this is well-established and all you did was repeat something that's been done dozens of times before."'

Which is pretty much the case here. In the patent (which dates from 1998 - transgenic mice had been around since the early 80s) they come right out and say it:

http://patents.com/us-5850003.html

'Standard techniques are used for recombinant nucleic acid methods, polynucleotide synthesis, cell culture, and transgene incorporation (e.g., electroporation, microinjection, lipofection). Generally enzymatic reactions, oligonucleotide synthesis, and purification steps are performed according to the manufacturer's specifications. The techniques and procedures are generally performed according to conventional methods in the art and various general references which are provided throughout this document. The procedures therein are believed to be well known in the art and are provided for the convenience of the reader. '

And even more vaguely:

'The invention can be practiced using essentially any applicable homologous gene targeting strategy known in the art.'

All this is just a way of wrapping up a discovered DNA sequence variant and a successful transgenic experiment done with it (using standard techniques) into an 'invention' that can be patented. It's an important experiment, but is it really an invention? Similar tricks are used to package discoveries as 'genetic tests' (even though the test is something a graduate student could come up with in their lunch hour by pasting the sequence into a primer design program and clicking 'OK').

So, back to the couch. Just... dude... where's my beer?

Yes, because GOOG has no patents.

Go ahead, scan through that list and try to tell me with a straight face that at least half of them aren't obvious.

Found some updated numbers:
Samsung: 83580
IBM: 65241
Microsoft: 36327
HP: 26606
Intel: 23272

Though, I'm not sure what those numbers include (inactive/expired/pending patents?).
But it is an indication that there are far bigger patent players than MS (or even IBM).
Then again, the Samsung numbers include patents on things like Dishwashers. (are there STILL patentable things being done with dishwashers?!)

Having said that, I own a copy of IBM and the Holocaust. So I am not a big fan. And having said that, the father of ms. Santax happens to be responsible for sales in Europe of IBM... So anyway I look at it, I will end up fucked :')

Honestly, I'm actually kind of an MS fan (flame suit on), well compared to most on /.
Their products are decent and keep me employed.

Though I am cheering Ubuntu on, it's come a long way and would probably be my primary desktop OS save for its lack of support for games and MS-Office (OO.org isn't there yet).

Found some updated numbers:
Samsung: 83580
IBM: 65241
Microsoft: 36327
HP: 26606
Intel: 23272

Though, I'm not sure what those numbers include (inactive/expired/pending patents?).
But it is an indication that there are far bigger patent players than MS (or even IBM).
Then again, the Samsung numbers include patents on things like Dishwashers. (are there STILL patentable things being done with dishwashers?!)

Having said that, I own a copy of IBM and the Holocaust. So I am not a big fan. And having said that, the father of ms. Santax happens to be responsible for sales in Europe of IBM... So anyway I look at it, I will end up fucked :')

Honestly, I'm actually kind of an MS fan (flame suit on), well compared to most on /.
Their products are decent and keep me employed.

Though I am cheering Ubuntu on, it's come a long way and would probably be my primary desktop OS save for its lack of support for games and MS-Office (OO.org isn't there yet).

Found some updated numbers:
Samsung: 83580
IBM: 65241
Microsoft: 36327
HP: 26606
Intel: 23272

Though, I'm not sure what those numbers include (inactive/expired/pending patents?).
But it is an indication that there are far bigger patent players than MS (or even IBM).
Then again, the Samsung numbers include patents on things like Dishwashers. (are there STILL patentable things being done with dishwashers?!)

Having said that, I own a copy of IBM and the Holocaust. So I am not a big fan. And having said that, the father of ms. Santax happens to be responsible for sales in Europe of IBM... So anyway I look at it, I will end up fucked :')

Honestly, I'm actually kind of an MS fan (flame suit on), well compared to most on /.
Their products are decent and keep me employed.

Though I am cheering Ubuntu on, it's come a long way and would probably be my primary desktop OS save for its lack of support for games and MS-Office (OO.org isn't there yet).

Found some updated numbers:
Samsung: 83580
IBM: 65241
Microsoft: 36327
HP: 26606
Intel: 23272

Though, I'm not sure what those numbers include (inactive/expired/pending patents?).
But it is an indication that there are far bigger patent players than MS (or even IBM).
Then again, the Samsung numbers include patents on things like Dishwashers. (are there STILL patentable things being done with dishwashers?!)

Having said that, I own a copy of IBM and the Holocaust. So I am not a big fan. And having said that, the father of ms. Santax happens to be responsible for sales in Europe of IBM... So anyway I look at it, I will end up fucked :')

Honestly, I'm actually kind of an MS fan (flame suit on), well compared to most on /.
Their products are decent and keep me employed.

Though I am cheering Ubuntu on, it's come a long way and would probably be my primary desktop OS save for its lack of support for games and MS-Office (OO.org isn't there yet).

Found some updated numbers:
Samsung: 83580
IBM: 65241
Microsoft: 36327
HP: 26606
Intel: 23272

Though, I'm not sure what those numbers include (inactive/expired/pending patents?).
But it is an indication that there are far bigger patent players than MS (or even IBM).
Then again, the Samsung numbers include patents on things like Dishwashers. (are there STILL patentable things being done with dishwashers?!)

Having said that, I own a copy of IBM and the Holocaust. So I am not a big fan. And having said that, the father of ms. Santax happens to be responsible for sales in Europe of IBM... So anyway I look at it, I will end up fucked :')

Honestly, I'm actually kind of an MS fan (flame suit on), well compared to most on /.
Their products are decent and keep me employed.

Though I am cheering Ubuntu on, it's come a long way and would probably be my primary desktop OS save for its lack of support for games and MS-Office (OO.org isn't there yet).

...that should be the title. Take the airbag that deploys in a car to help prevent death or serious injury in an automobile accident. The airbag is patented.

http://www.patents.com/Airbag/US6866291/en-US/

If a car company manufactures an automobile, and there is a production error, and the airbags aren't installed, they will be liable for damages suffered by the owners of the car who suffer accidents. They sold a product without standard safety features. It has nothing to do with a patent.

From the article

Then, suddenly, the hubbub fell silent. In 2002, Ryobi, which initially signed a contract with SawStop, pulled out. Manufacturers, interested at first, refused to license their device.

Gass remembered they told him, "Safety doesn't sell." So, the trio decided to design their own line of saws, raising about $3 million from friends, family members and strangers.

The only company using this "standard safety feature" is the company that the inventor started.

As for the cost

SawStop asks for licensing fees of 3 percent of the saw's wholesale price to start. As the device becomes more widespread, the fees could increase to 8 percent. The price of table saws range from $200 to several thousand dollars.

If I was buying a saw I'd probably pay an extra %3 for this feature, but then again I'm not buying a saw.

What obligations do manufactures have to include safety devices that are an economic loss?

...that should be the title. Take the airbag that deploys in a car to help prevent death or serious injury in an automobile accident. The airbag is patented.

http://www.patents.com/Airbag/US6866291/en-US/

If a car company manufactures an automobile, and there is a production error, and the airbags aren't installed, they will be liable for damages suffered by the owners of the car who suffer accidents. They sold a product without standard safety features. It has nothing to do with a patent.

I am amazed at people who think hardware patents are more valid than software patents.

I work in the patent department at my work. Sure, the software field is a bit hype right now and there are lots of patent applications. A lot of them stupid.
Yet, the point is, hardware patents exhibit the same stupidity, especially during periods of rapid activity.

I saw a commercial on TV the other day promoting the Toyota Prius. It was actually advertising the number of patents it holds. It must be really advanced!
How much do you want to bet, most of those patents are routine problems that any hardware engineer would solve in a similar way as they develop a hybrid or electric car. Engineers at Ford, GM, Hyundai... ?

In the same way as software engineers would solve similar problems the same way. Applying XML to a word-processing document format, Adding a plug-in architecture to internet browsers...

You can be against patent stupidity over all. It drives me mad a times too.

Yet, I just cannot understand those who support hardware patents yet bemoan software patents. The one example I am constantly amazed at... is Intels CPU patents. Somehow people think because the net result is a physical chip that somehow it is more valid than software patents?

Here is one of Intel's recent ones:
http://www.patents.com/Enhanced-fused-multiply-add-operation/US7499962/en-US/

Go ahead and read it. Specifically the claims part as that is what matters. I cannot fathom how this is different from a complex software problem.
This should come as no surprise to anyone with any experience doing FPGA programming. Sure it's not a simple sequential program. But its the same concepts.

It has been very difficult to create x86 compatible CPUs. You generally have to get a license from Intel. Why is this?
If you expand it out, all you would need to create an x86 compatible chip is the same opcodes and registers...
How is this any different from a programming framework? opcodes akin to function definitions. Registers akin to data structures.

A well written CPU instruction set takes just as good design and ingenuity as a well written software framework (QT, .NET...).

Two minor points.

#1 The patent application is from 1994. The example in the patent looks like the same early-XML format used by Ventura, a desktop publishing program released in 1986 by Xerox (and subsequently purchased by Corel). The general idea and much of the exact format was borrowed from expensive, proprietary computerized typesetting equipment that was popular in the 70's.

#2: The person who "examined" the patent, a Jankus; Almis R, is now a patent agent. I'm no longer amazed at how often bad patent applications are approved by law students, future patent attorneys and/or agents.

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

A docking station
http://www.patents.com/Docking-station/USD578110/en-US/

A Clasp
http://www.patents.com/Clasp/USD577990/en-US/

A user interface (the dock)
http://www.patents.com/User-interface-providing-consolidation-access/US7434177/en-US/

Method of controlling clock signals
http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-generation-control-clock-signals/US7434083/en-US/

Image Scaling Arrangement
http://www.patents.com/Image-scaling-arrangement/US7433546/en-US/

Thermal contact arrangment
http://www.patents.com/Thermal-contact-arrangement/US7433191/en-US/

And a Method for displaying pixels on a user interface

http://www.patents.com/Method-apparatus-displaying-pixel-images-a-graphical-user-interface/US7432939/en-US/

Apple gets several new patents a week :
http://www.patents.com/patents-by-company/Apple/0/50/

I'm not saying they need evidence, I'm saying they need to clearly and succintly explain what the alleged tort is. Instead they claim that they have a belief. I've seen a bunch of complaints and they aren't usually worded like this.

Do you have any idea how expensive it is to patent something? It can be as much as $8,000 to $10,000.

The patent system is designed to give companies an advantage. Individual inventors often don't have the resources to patent something as soon as they come up with it, and by the time they do, several companies will have filed several patents covering the same ground.

Excuse me????

Patents are NOT affordable by private inventors and have stopped being affordable a long time ago.

http://www.patents.com/cost.htm, http://www.ipwatchdog.com/patent_cost.html

        * Relatively simple invention - $3,000 to $5,000
        * Invention of minimal complexity - $5,000 - $10,000
        * Invention of moderate complexity - $10,000 - $15,000
        * Invention of intermediate complexity - $15,000 - $20,000
        * Relatively complex invention - $20,000 and up

Look at these costs, as they are not chump change. This is only a patent in the US. To get a European patent knock on another 20,000K. Then to defend your patent you need yet again a 300 USD per hour lawyer. Frankly the reason why there are so many patents is because lawyers and the patent offices have how to create an economy where there should be none.

Heh, nothing like learning something new. I've been reading up on it and I think what I've seen in the past is a note in a patent pending where something is not shown because of the trade secret claim. Here is the explanation I found on one site under "Comparing patents and trade secrets":

"If the only patent being sought is a United States patent, then the decision to give up trade secrets to obtain a patent is not, at present, an irreversible one. The reason for this is that a U.S. patent application is kept secret by the U.S. Patent Office until such time as a patent issues. At any point prior to payment of the issue fee, an applicant could is permitted to abandon the patent application, in which case it would remain secret thereafter.

One should keep in mind, however, that the U.S. Patent Office has announced its plans to start a program of publishing patent applications 18 months after filing, thus coming into harmony with the majority of countries having patent systems. This change, if implemented, puts the U.S. applicant in the same position as applicants in other countries, having to make a decision whether to seek a patent or rely on trade secret protection.

At such time as the patent issues, it reveals to the public any and all trade secrets that are contained within it.[...]"

So, you are right that once the patent is issued, the trade secret status would be lost. However, it's also true (at least for the moment) that the trade secret status must be preserved until the patent is issued, at least in the US. (this description, by the way, is from 1993, so it may already be out of date.)

I have used all of the services and have written it up. Of course you need to find out which of the services actually works where you plan to use it.

Within the US, if you happen to be in one of Verizon's 32 or so "broadband access" service areas, then Verizon's $80 per month service is the way to go. 300-500k typical download speeds, bursting to 2M bits per second. Upload speeds 100-200k. This service is technically called "EVDO" and Verizon calls it "broadbandaccess". If you are elsewhere in the US the Verizon card will get you what is technically called "1X" speeds, namely 50-70k bps download speed, bursting to 144k. Verizon calls that "nationalaccess". Verizon has a good coverage map tool that will help you figure out whether you would get the fast or slow Verizon service depending on where you are. I previously used the Nextel and Sprint and AT&T Wireless and Cingular and T-Mobile services, and if you are in a broadbandaccess (EVDO) service area, the Verizon service is definitely the way to go.

Proceeding in descending order of speeds, the next speed level within the US is "Edge". The chief Edge provider in the US was formerly AT&T Wireless, now merged into Cingular. If you are in an Edge service area (see the Cingular maps) then you can sometimes get download speeds of 100-130k bps. In other areas Cingular will be able to provide GPRS speeds of maybe one-third of Edge speeds, or around 30-50k downloads.

The next step down is Sprint's 1X service, which is the same speed as Verizon's 1X service. You get 50-70k bits per second.The T-mobile service is the next step down. It is only GPRS (30-50k) and it only works where T-Mobile GSM service can be found. Check the coverage maps and you will see that the T-Mobile GSM coverage is far less in geographic extent than Verizon or Sprint or Cingular.

Finally Nextel. They do have an unlimited data service but it is miserable slow and Nextel's coverage map is even worse than T-Mobile's.

In the networks where two speeds are available (as a function of where you are) the card will automatically shift back and forth. The Verizon card will shift between 1X and EVDO; the Cingular (former AT&T W) card will shift between GPRS and Edge. One nice thing about the Verizon connection manager is it will actually tell you which of the two protocols has been negotiated. In contrast, the AT&TW/Cingular connection manager keeps you in the dark about whether it has negotiated EDGE or GPRS speeds.

The only monthly plans I recommend are the "all you can eat" plans. For $80 per month you can get "all you can eat" from Verizon, Cingular, or Sprint, at the top speed that each network offers. (Verizon has dropped the price of its 1X service to a mere $60 per month for all you can eat as long as it is only at 1X speeds.) For me the $80 per month is well worth it because the service works while I am in taxicabs and on trains and in hotels that would otherwise gouge me for Internet access, and it works in other random locations. None of this hunting around trying to find a WiFi hot spot when I step off the airplane. There are plans with a smaller cost per month, but you don't want them because they will charge per-kilobyte. A moderate hour of web surfing could cost $100 or more in per-kilo charges. You can see right away why it is unwise to choose anything but an all-you-can-eat monthly plan.

Now as to choice of equipment. You will see all sorts of posts where people gleefully describe how they use a USB cable or bluetooth between their computer and their cell phone or Treo and then use the cell phone or Treo to connect to the Internet, and manage to get by without having to pay the full $80 per month. Life is too short for this. First, when the carrier figures out you are using a computer (like you are visiting web sites using an HTTP protocol other than WA

The judge will read the rules and decide that Apple Computer has a real problem for violoating someone elses trademake in the same class. In this case they are both in class 9 so its easy.

Well, I sent the following email to the trademark office. I suggest others do the same ...

At between 9 and 10 patents per day, does anyone know if IBM gets a bulk discount on its fees?

Saddino is right that there is no "do it all in one place" route for all countries. But on November 2, 2003, the US became part of a treaty called the Madrid Protocol which permits a single filing to extend to several dozen countries around the world. There is also something called a Community Trademark application which covers most of European Union in a single filing.

See What does it cost to file a trademark registration application?

A true geek is always connected. The price of cellular internet has come down, and the speeds are going up, to the point where its feasible for full time use.

Links:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobileoptions /b roadband/index.jsp

http://www.broadbandreports.com/faq/5668

http://www.patents.com/pcs/

A tax on the aspiring

Job

A tax on the living

Lotto

A tax on people who are bad at math.

Seriously though, venture capitalism is something that should definitely be looked into. If you're really worried about losing your IP from trying to get investors, there's always the patent route. Fortunately for legitimate patents, they're easily approved. Unfortunately for people who need the patent to raise money, they're incredibly expensive.

Indeed most US patent applications are published 18 months after the filing date, for precisely this purpose. You can see some examples on my web page. Members of the public are then free to send prior art to the Examiner.

Many patent offices around the world, including the European Patent Office, do the same thing.

As you may see in my writeup, I have measured ping times on the Vision service around 400 ms. On AT&T I have never seen less than 600 ms.

Dang it - I even previewed the damn post and screwed up the law firm's URL. Here it is: Oppedahl & Larson LLP: