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WebSense Patents Censorware System

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

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."

3 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. Prior art? by StewedSquirrel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.
  2. Dear god by JVert · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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?

  3. How is this different from the access control? by another_ganesha · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.