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EBay Fined $29.5M in Patent Case

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the absolutely-ridiculous-patents dept.

pigreco314 writes "As reported by Washington Post and many others a federal judge Wednesday ordered online auction house eBay to pay $29.5 million to a Virginia inventor (former CIA engineer) who accused the company of stealing his ideas." This case has been going going on for awhile, but this looks to have some finality. Patenting "Buy it Now" is almost as stupid as One Click Shopping.

6 of 317 comments (clear)

  1. In other news by SoVi3t · · Score: 5, Funny

    E-Bay will now be charging a 15,000% "We Got Sued" tax on all completed bids over the price of $0.01

    --
    Defender of Microsoft and Communism!!!
  2. Just wait... by creative_name · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...until someone sues this old coot for infringing on their patented idea to sue companies for patent infringement of frivilous patents.

    Wooo man will the judges have fun with that one.

    --
    Posting as directed.
  3. what if the patent office was always like this? by Comsn · · Score: 5, Funny

    i can just imagine what it would have been like in the past if the patent office was what it is like now...

    horsenbuggy: your car uses four wheels!
    ford: oops
    $29.5M found in favor of horsenbuggy.

  4. i hope... by LinuxHam · · Score: 5, Funny

    he has a verified paypal account!

    --
    Intelligent Life on Earth
  5. Buy It Later by yamcha666 · · Score: 5, Funny
    I think I'm gonna patent my own shopping method - Buy It Later

    - You click it and it charges your credit card on a random date and sends you the merchandise whenever the seller feels like it!

    Or maybe not. Sshhhhh... no stealing .... sshhhh

  6. Re:This is a bit wierd. by mopslik · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess in the context of an auction it could be novel, but it still seems odd.

    Indeed. Given the amount of transactions that involve computers today, I don't see how things like this can continue to be "novel". Maybe I can just apply random modifiers and try and patent them under the same giuse:
    - Conducting an auction using a computer
    - Conducting an auction over the phone
    - Conducting an auction while wearing pants

    Having said that, I know some people who'd be more than willing to work around the last one.