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McAfee Patents ASP Business Model
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.
I wonder how many times I'm going to have to post the simple advice to read to the end, to see that it gets even worse:
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
A system, method, and computer program product for delivery and automatic execution of
Don't know about you but this sure sounds like java applets to me and I could have sworn somebody already held the patent for that
Surprise, surprise yeat another patent on something obvious that tons of people are doing... Although considering they filed in 1998 it may not be that hard o find prior art on this one. Arguably any form of web-based installer violates this patent (or counts as prior art) as software installation can be considered 'administration'.
.technomancer
"In a preferred embodiment, the user directs the Internet browser to a Internet clinical services provider web site computer and logs in to the site using an identifier and a secure password and optionally makes a selection of the type of servicing desired, wherein an automatically-executing software package encapsulated within a markup language communication unit deliverable across the Internet is delivered, to the user computer, the automatically-executing software package being adapted to perform security, management, or optimization functions on the user computer."
Isn't that what Microsoft's Windows update does ? Or better said, isn't that what Microsoft's Windows update tries to do?
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??
"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
You don't get superpowers until you have >50 karma.
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!
Definitely sounds like a challenge
Here is an excellent article on IP issues and mad patents.
Also check out IP.com and BountyQuest
so I imagine well be seeing something here about this soon!
I'm tempted to immediately blame the companies for doing this, but I guess they are just trying to work within the system to make money. It's the system that sucks. Still I'm gonna hold off buying that antivirus software for a while now.
Actually, kerubi gets a cookie just by browsing Slashdot.
(Sorry, I just couldn't resist.)
Developers: We can use your help.
... the first lawyer successfully patents a legal argument, or perhaps a clever sequence of filing inter-related lawsuits, as a business process, and then starts charging other lawyers for using it.
Remember, the legal system in general thrives on adding complexity to other people's lives. When the complexity starts removing money from their pockets, things will change.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
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