Slashdot Mirror
SBC Getting Aggressive With Frames Patent
mpthompson writes "Aspects of the SBC patent shakedown were covered previously on SlashDot, but the following article has more details including the royalty fee schedules on the two patents that SBC is seeking to enforce against web sites that utilize frames in their design. In short, SBC has asserted that it is the exclusive owner of a technology for "structured document" browsing - the use of frames to provide hyperlinks to documents displayed by a browser. Apparently the strategy by SBC is to set precedent against small web sites that will presumably capitulate before going after the big guys. Based on the fee schedule, SBC seems to be pretty serious about this whole patent thing and may not go away so easily."
If they go after you, plead innocense - say "I've been framed!".
I didnt violate the patent.... I WAS FRAMED!!
In other news, Microsoft patents the numbers 0 & 1, rendering all computer code their sole property..
While I would generally complain about a company wielding its patents in this way, I can't help but think that SBC has nothing but honorable intentions. Their fee schedule clearly shows they don't want anyone to pay and merely want to rid the web of that evil known as "frames." GO SBC!
Yes -- and you'll find that MY royalty fee schedule is MUCH more reasonable than SBCs.
Roving Web-Teleoperated Robot
"Web sites don't use frames. Web browsers use frames. Web site author doesn't know how it will be renderred. "
.MP3 author doesn't know how it will be played back.
Mp3 files don't use the MP3 codec, Mp3 players use the MP3 codec. The
"Derp de derp."
---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
SBC actually stands for Syrian Biologicalweapons Command, a terrorist organization. They also have plotted to kill Ashcroft's dad, made deals to sell their nuclear frames technology to Osama Bin Laden, and are behind recent cat disappearances in Des Moines. Boy, I'm sure glad the Patriot Act is in effect. I bet in a few hours those guys will fall off the map forever without a trial.
Too broad to stand up? Heh... you must not be overly familiar with the U.S. Patent system... :D
"Times have not become more violent. They have just become more televised."
-Marilyn Manson
Just out of curiousity, is "plurality" a required word in patents?
t
Your pink slip is on your desk, you will see it tomorrow morning.
SBC the company that even the devil couldn't love. Oh wait that's Verizon (BellSouth & GTE I think, god GTE sucked).
...columnist Dave Barry has sued Robert Cringely for the unauthorized use of the sentence "I am not making this up" immediately following a statement whose content is patently unbelievable but is, in fact, true.
~Philly
I'd be more worried about starting a "frame" war...snicker snicker
(ducks)
If I look at a site with code for FRAMES with a browser that does not support them, I do not see the frames. It takes a combination of the various BROWSERS and the HTML CODE from the site to make this so-called infringing applicaiton show up.
Maybe they should sue Microsoft forenableing the infringement by having MSIE support frames.
God will roast their stomachs in hell...
.sigs are for post^Hers.
Cases like this should get a vote from the people in the technical community. If over 90% say this case is bullshit, the plaintiff should be publicly humiliated, stripped of their assets, and forced to leave the country.
I don't run my website anymore, but when I did I had framed navigation by default, and the option of not using frames. Just give the user two options: 1. pay royalties to these people and continue with frames. or 2. no frames. :)
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
Yes. I've been involved with several patent applications. The process basically consists of paying some attorneys $200/hr to read your design documents, reformat them in a monospaced courier font with line numbers added, edit your diagrams to replace all text labels with numbers, insert one of these index numbers after every noun in the document, and, most importantly, insert the phrase "a plurality of" in front of every plural noun.
SBC Patents Letters S, B and C.
mdrTao to pot new weite here:
http://lahdot.org/
New for Nerd. tuff that matter.
ill Gate of Mirooft announe plan to patent letter M.