Slashdot Mirror


IBM Patents Web Page Templates

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?"

2 of 420 comments (clear)

  1. in other news... by superdk · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    The RIAA patents sound in an attempt to draw royalties on everything that makes any sound including but not limited to musical works and things that go bump in the night.

    Film at 11:00

    --


    Silly slashdot, sigs are for kids!
    1. Re:in other news... by re-geeked · · Score: 3, Offtopic

      *Silent* film at eleven.

      --
      "You can't get something for nothing." - my grandfather, on the stock market and Reaganomics.