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WebSense Patents Censorware System
Matthew Skala writes "As reported in SiliconValley.internet.com, filtering-software vendor Websense has received US Patent 6,606,659 on a "System and method for controlling access to internet sites". The new features in the patented system seem to revolve around using time limits instead of filtering sites out entirely; offering users a choice of viewing a site and having it logged, or not viewing it; and a scheme for automatically categorizing sites that looks very much like the "Bayesian filters" we've heard so much about in recent weeks. You may be interested in the filtering company's press release about their patent, or my own view."
Can anyone comment on the existance of prior "software" using these features. I seem to recall a "time limiting" software designed for Windows 3.1 back in around 1994 or 1995. There have been "filtering" software utilities for longer than that.
Is this another example of the abuse of software patents? I think I might move to the EU (assuming they stay sane and reject the ability to restrict software development through patents).
Stewey
There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
What about all those people who burned karma saying they wanted to protect our freedom by patenting censorship? You thought they were crazy didn't you?
I've been using the same basic web site access control algorithm for years. A description of my code reads very similar to the abstract.
My system maintains a database of Internet files, (not sites, though I don't know what the difference would be...)
My system does not limit the number of visits to a category a limited number of times, however, it does limit to download links once per user, which is (probably the same thing).
My system allows users to request access, and then have access granted.
I don't log which pages/sites users visit, but I know many apps that do (like nuke).
I'm not a patent attorney, does this mean that my access control code violates the patent?
Truly bizarre.
Does this mean I have to turn off my Windows 2003 Server AD logon hour restrictions?
Will anyone attempt to actually answer that, or will everyone start immediately making linux jokes and insulting me because I use Windows?
# Erik
AOL can censor sites, and their bundled spyware logs where you go if you circumvent the block. Same thing?
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
The story seems to have almost no merit at all. it's YASAAP: yet another story about a patent. OK, so the patent office issued a patent that lots of people are going to think was either (a) obvious or (b) invalid because of prior art. Is /. going to start mainlining the output of the patent office to come up with stories?
We already know that the patent office is issuing what seem like silly patents, and we already know we'd like them to stop.
Does this particular story add anything to the debate or is it just a troll?
John.
I guess in the rest of the world outside of USA (is Canada included?) we can be live just fine, keeping our development of similar web applications without paying any fee to the company, which has just abused even further unfamous American IP laws.
Less is more !
PN/6618857
And guess who it was?
Somebody get my tinfoil hat, quick!
As of 10/06/03, I hate COBOL developers.
SquidGuard changelog
Stupid lameness filter blocks me from posting more, but you can easily see it in the changelog.