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Charlie Northrup's One-Man Patent Grab Continues

Posted by timothy on from the and-now-with-only-one-eye-open dept.

FirstEdition writes "Will this never end! Linux Business & Technology writes that Charlie Northrup, the guy in New Jersey whose prior art on what looks to be Web services dates back to 1994 and appears to trump anybody else's IP, has gotten another patent. Of course, he has transferred the IP to a spin off company populated mostly by lawyers. More details here."

3 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Can you say CORBA? by rossjudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you read the patent, it reads like a description of CORBA. The OMG started working on CORBA in 1989. That's all the prior art that should be needed.

  2. Re:That's okay...Circular defense. by TWX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I look at it this way...

    IBM did significant development of computer theory. They've probably contributed more than any other company combined. Granted, they have screwed up at times, and screwed up royally, but they don't appear to be running around smashing others with only lawyer-based divisions, a'la Rambus. They're also contributing back into something that I use on a daily basis as my primary computer platform, even when they didn't invent UNIX. Right now, IBM is a community player, and while that could change in theory at any moment, they're more my friend than this freak who is trying to demonstrate a patent on hypertext transfer protocol...

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  3. Re:WTF?-Guilty? Not I. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "What I learned while trying to get a patent, and what the slashdot crowd needs to grok, is that Patents Are Business Tools!" and "Life isn't fair. Deal with it."

    Let's see.

    1. "Whacking competitors is a business tool" and "Life isn't fair. Deal with it."

      That was fun.

      "Industrial espionage is a business tool" and "Life isn't fair. Deal with it."

      Better, better.

      "Insurance fraud is a business tool" and "Life isn't fair. Deal with it."

      Nice.

      "Defrauding investors and employees is a business tool" and "Life isn't fair. Deal with it.".

      Whoo Hoo.

      "Dumping toxic waste illegally is a business tool" and "Life isn't fair. Deal with it."

      Yum.


    You know? Life is so much easier when one doesn't have a conscious. Thanks dude.