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IBM Patents Web Page Templates

Posted by timothy on from the patent-office-crack dept.

jalefkowit writes: "More follies from the US Patent & Trademark Office ... now IBM has been awarded US Patent #6,304,886 for software that automatically "generates [a] customized Web site without the Web site creator writing any HTML or other programming code", based on "a plurality of pre-stored templates, comprising HTML formatting code, text, fields, and formulas" that are then customized through the process of asking the user a few questions. In other words, they've patented the ubiquitous wizards found in FrontPage and other newbie-oriented HTML editors. This was submitted to the USPTO on June 19, 1998 -- surely someone out there knows of prior art for this?"

6 of 420 comments (clear)

  1. IBM, Come get me you skanky bastards by Enonu · · Score: 5, Funny

    #include <stdio.h>

    int main (int argc, char** argv) {
    char buff[100];
    printf ("Please enter in your web text: ");
    scanf ("%s", buff);
    printf ("Your web page: <HTML><BODY><b>%s</b></BODY></HTML>\n", buff);
    }

    1. Re:IBM, Come get me you skanky bastards by Rogerborg · · Score: 3, Funny
      • This is a clear and easy buffer overflow

      Tsk, it's the mandatory backdoor for the NSA to use to ensure that the system that the binary resides on isn't being used by baby raping file sharing anthrax snorting terrorist monsters.

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  2. Re:Sorry IBM by sterno · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah I worked for a company that was doing template based HTML publishing starting back in 1995 or 1996. 1998? Wow, IBM might have the edge in failing hard disk drives, but maybe they should stop bothering with software patents :)

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  3. Re:Patented Dirt by thrashncarry · · Score: 4, Funny

    surely this is a good thing though? hike the price up and make people pay every time they use a MS template. the ratio of good/horrific websites will change overnight :)

  4. Re:Word wizards + HTML save = HTML wizard by Tet · · Score: 3, Funny
    Press Alt-F A, call it "foo.html," select "Plain Text (*.txt)" from "save as type," and press Enter.


    I tmay be humour, but it's the only way to get decent HTML out of word...

    --
    "The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
  5. Re:Prior Art by Rogerborg · · Score: 3, Funny
    • how about FrontPage97

    How about whatever system of "plurality of templates" the USPTO web site was using prior to mid-1998?

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