Bezos Seeks Amazon Honor System-Related Patents

Posted by Hemos on Sunday September 22, 2002 @11:56PM from the ebay-comes-a-shaking dept.

theodp writes "When Amazon's Honor System debuted, some questioned if Amazon would try to patent it. More than 18 months later, the USPTO has provided the answer with the 8-29 publication of patent applications 20020120568 ("User-to-user payment service with payee-specific pay pages") and 20020120567 ("Hosted services for collecting payments from and providing personalized content to web site visitors"). Both list Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as an inventor and use the Amazon Honor System to illustrate a commercial implementation of the inventions." Hmm...wouldn't eBay's point system be prior art in this situation?

1 of 117 comments (clear)

*sigh* by EmagGeek · 2002-09-23 00:09 · Score: 5, Funny

I can see it now... Now anyone who transacts personal business on the 'net has to pay Amazon for the privelege if they use the "honor system" for payment and shipping... basically, trusting someone will no longer be free.
The Patent Office has become ridiculous. They'll grant a patent application for just about anything because it generates filing fee revenue.
I'll file the following Patent now: "Method of generating income by filing obvious patents and suing everyone in sight." That way, I can pay off my student loans....
*sigh*