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IBM Flushes Restroom Patent

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the uncross-your-legs-people dept.

jdkane writes "As reported in this CNet news article IBM has quietly eliminated a patent it received on a method for determining who gets to use the bathroom next. I say Kudos to IBM because it is a relief (no pun intended) to see some common sense prevail in the patent news. A funny quote from the article is "But just because the patent office granted this and other questionable patents doesn't mean the system is broken".;)"

2 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. stupid patent by spongman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    apart from the fact that it applies to bathrooms, how is this any different from the age-old "take a number, take a seat" system used in waiting rooms and supermarket delis around the world? I guess the aparatus (claims 17/26) could be said to be new, but harldy a stroke of genius, especially not in 2000AD. I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans used something like this...

  2. This article isn't exactly pleasing to me.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But Nyblod said that it's relatively rare for the patent office to re-examine patents it has issued. The office granted 187,882 patents in 2001 but received just 296 requests to re-examine individual patents, she said.

    That's 187,586 short if you ask me.
    Really, as much as I don't want to be a flaimbait, the "standard examination" or whatever is not quite good enough.
    In this day and age, with the amount of educated people at an all time high, and their education at an all time high too, the patent office has to be extra strict with giving patents.

    Though everybody at slashdot already knows this, it can't be stressed enoough:
    Patents are more a drag than a boost to creativity.

    And just a little rant:
    For nine years running, IBM has been the leading recipient of patents from the U.S. patent office.

    And

    We dedicated that patent to the public so that we could continue focusing on our high-quality patent portfolio.

    Seem to be in conflict.IBM and patents seem to me to be a issue of quantity not quality.