IPFilter Infriging on Bay Network Patent?

jorhan writes "Darren Reed, the author of IPFilter, recently posted this message to the IPFilter mailing list. Apparently IPFilter may infringe upon USA patents owned by Bay Networks, specifically, #5790554. The patent might seem to own just about every conceivable way one might wish to filter and forward data packets, but trying to read through all of the "wherein said first condition" started to give me a headache (ObIANAL). But when you read what application the authors specifically had in mind, it really has little to do with network layer firewalling. Even more important is the question Darren's mail indirectly poses, "Anyone know of any prior art?""

Comments

Patent Patent Process

[maximillionus]

How long until someones recieves notice of patent infringement for their method of submitting patents?

Re:Patent Patent Process

[Anonymous Coward]

I hereby patent the process in said application for said patent thereto and hereforth known as patent submission process where as there is a generally vague and ambiguous definition of said patentable process in said application of section 1 and hereto and thereto and whereto and whoto ad naseum carpe diem magna cum lauder and e pluribus unim.

a day in the life of IT

[Vodak]

I have seen the enemy and it is us... and we attack with a sea of legal papers which will kill us with paper cuts

LawerSpeak

[Tablizer]

(* The patent might seem to own just about every conceivable way one might wish to filter and forward data packets, but trying to read through all of the "wherein said first condition" started to give me a headache *)

Laywers should learn how to clean up their source code.

For one, they should give clauses names or ID's. Then they can have phrases like:

"If ($trans and $horgton) or $rollsNice or $tamper5 or ($beforeExpire7 and $gasoline) then coveredUnderStateStatute("Nebraska", 43726)"

Re:Early bird (corporate whore) gets the worm(pate

[PacoTaco]

From the patent:

receiving a data frame at a port of a network device coupled to said network said data frame to be forwarded to a destination node in said network based on a destination address for said destination node associated with said data frame

I'm having a hard time thinking of a network device that doesn't do this. :)

Re:Early bird (corporate whore) gets the worm(pate

[Anonymous Coward]

(* How about getting the patent office to employ people who know what they're looking at, i.e. engineers/techies/etc, so that stupid patents aren't registered in the first place. *)

But the job is so boring that you eventually just start approving sh*t for the hell of it or because your eyes get too tired to parse all that legalsay.

The smarter you are, often the easier it is to get bored.

I think they should do drug testing there. Imagine all the stuff you would approve if you were on LSD.

"One click? Oh that is sooooo sparkley and rainbowish tingle mingle. Trippin' stampity stamp stamp you da man!"

Re:No red alert yet.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's funny how the reputation of lawyers has fallen so low .... And I'm a newspaper reporter

Pot... kettle... black.