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McAfee Patents ASP Business Model

Posted by michael on from the your-patent-will-come-to-$4.65,-please-drive-through dept.

Rob Kischuk writes: "According to an article at InfoWorld, McAfee.com has been granted a patent on its variety of "software as a service". No specifics on the patent, but the CEO's statement, "You either work with us, or you work around this patent", seems to indicate that more than a couple of ASPs could be affected." kerubi gets a cookie for sending in a link to the patent in question, or read McAfee's press release.

12 of 284 comments (clear)

  1. If I have a lobotomy.... by Russ+Nelson · · Score: 3, Funny

    If I have a lobotomy, can I still get a job as a patent examiner?
    -russ

    --
    Don't piss off The Angry Economist
  2. Patent stupid patents by khendron · · Score: 2, Funny
    I am going to patent the business model of patenting obvious uses of technology as business models. Then nobody else will be able to do it.

    No wait! I can't do that. Too much prior art!

    --
    Life is like a web application. Sometime you need cookies just to get by.
  3. I got a patent on electrons moving information by BrentRJones · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now I am trying for electromagnetic waves moving information through the aether. Mortimer, the patent office guy, says he needs more than $100,000 this time, though. He has kids going to college. In case you need a source of income, the ingestion of products by the mouth is still available says Mort.

    --
    Help end the use of Sigs. Tomorrow
  4. Those snakes! by TrollMan+5000 · · Score: 0, Funny

    Patenting ASP technology! There's definitely prior art there.

    Perhaps God will sue McAfee. Then McAfee can work with Him, or around him.

  5. Moral compass by Bongo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd patent one (the Moral Compass), but I sure don't think I'd collect much royalties. Anyone out there know of prior art??

  6. Take a look at the title... by JoeShmoe · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Method and system for securing, managing or optimizing a personal computer"

    So basically McAfee is claiming a patent on:

    * Passwords
    * Locks

    * Command Shells
    * GUIs

    * Defragmenters
    * Memory management

    You get the idea...this is broader than the side of a barn. The only sentance I can pull out of the abstract that means anything is "you do something with a web browser and something happens on your computer"

    Serious...who read this @#%!$ at the patent office and finds anything unique about it at all? I mean AT - FREAKING - ALL?

    - JoeShmoe

    --
    -- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
  7. (OT - your sig) by 11223 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You don't get superpowers until you have >50 karma.

  8. Re:"You either work with us, or you work around th by csbruce · · Score: 5, Funny

    Definitely sounds like a challenge

    Sounds more to me like "Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!!" {strokes cat while adjusting monocle}

    Nooo, Mr. Bond, I expect you to pay royalties!

  9. "You either work with us, or you work around this" by T1girl · · Score: 4, Funny

    Definitely sounds like a challenge

  10. Cookie by truthsearch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually, kerubi gets a cookie just by browsing Slashdot.

    (Sorry, I just couldn't resist.)

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  11. Re:Hmm. by emf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yea, your right. I think they just patented a new CodeRed Variant..

  12. Protest! by Chairboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hi guys,

    Perhaps the best way to protest their action would be to purchase as many Norton & Symantec products as possible.

    Regards,

    Ben Hallert
    Symantec