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Australian Gov't Moves To Block E-commerce Patent

Posted by timothy on from the ones-and-zeros dept.

ColaMan writes "Surfacing in the Australian version of GoogleNews, moves are afoot to block a patent covering (it seems) general ecommerce practices on the internet. This comes after the recent strongarm tactics against New Zealand businesses by D.E. Technologies , holder of the patent overseas."

5 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Perhaps... by X-wes · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/17/10580 35125683.html The Google link does not appear to work.

  2. Additional coverage in NZ by Audent · · Score: 5, Informative

    The fight's not over here yet, either. Associate Govt Minister for tech is looking at the issue although it's probably too little too late when you think about it. It's interesting to note that the guy who runs DE Tech wanted to set up shop in NZ and target every other country in the world from some kind of "cyber Switzerland". He got no government support for his idea and now is targeting NZ companies instead. Draw your own conclusions.
    InternetNZ (the old Internet Society of NZ) is helping pay for a legal opinion on the matter also.

    Surely it's about time we all got organised enough to stop this kind of nonsense before it costs someone an eye? Right? Amazon one-click/BT patents internet/etc...

    Extra stories here from NZ Herald and Computerworld NZ - sorry about links, no time to pretty them up.

    Lumbering reaction to software patent claim
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm? storyID =3512663&thesection=technology&thesubsection=comme nt&thesecondsubsection=

    Patent threat to NZ e-tailers
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay. cfm?storyID =3511627&thesection=technology&thesubsection=gener al

    InternetNZ puts up cash for patent opinion
    http://computerworld.co.nz/webhome.nsf/nl /0E333D06 28EEA685CC256D60000F23F8

    Govt should act to save e-trade
    http://computerworld.co.nz/webhome.nsf/nl /DDCEA58D 77FA36A0CC256D5F00721106

    --
    I am a leaf on the wind
  3. Re:e-Commerce patents? by AndroidCat · · Score: 5, Informative
    How can they even enforce this, with the exception of AU based companies, what will stop my Bank in Zimbabwae from using their "patented" e-Commerce thinga-mawhatsits?

    Even worse, read the D.E. Technologies letter and try to imagine anyone doing any kind of business app on the Internet without violating that rubbish patent. "We displays stuff in yer language and currency, you selects stuff, we totals it, you give okay, we run the transaction, Bob's yer uncle!" People shouldn't be allowed to patent a common business transaction just because they added "computer", "internet" and "world-wide web" to the application. They matter as much as wearing clown suits.

    Patent examiners need to be taught to use that big red rejection stamp "Fscking Obvious!" more often.

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    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  4. Re:e-Commerce patents? by bentcd · · Score: 5, Informative

    How the hell this could get past 32 patent offices without getting the great big "Get Fucked" stamp on it is beyond me.

    We don't know how many they've tried and failed in though, do we? In some countries (*cough* US *cough*), it doesn't take much more than a correctly filled out application to get a patent. It's not whether you can get the patent that matters but whether you can successfully defend it in court.

    (With some luck, the US patent office is serious when it says it will change its evil ways)

    --
    sigs are hazardous to your health
  5. "Fight the Patent" site by AndroidCat · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Fight the Patent site has a number of links to news articles and info. (Cute gif at the bottom.) Try not to slashdot them too badly, single file please...

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.