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Software Installation/Update via Internet Patented

Posted by timothy on from the 35-claims dept.

RKBA writes "My wife just handed me an article from the Wednesday, October 22, 2003 issue of the Wall Street Journal about a tiny Austin, TX company called Bluecurrent that has been awarded patent No. 6,636,857 covering the Internet installation of any software or settings on new computers. The patent was granted by the USPTO on October 21, 2003. It will be interesting to see if it can be enforced. I think it's time for someone to file a patent on Earth, Fire, and Water. ;-)"

11 of 519 comments (clear)

  1. It's official by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's official. There is no God, the madness will never end. Kill me now.

    1. Re:It's official by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      > It's official. There is no God, the madness will never end. Kill me now.

      well, we're gonna have a hard time /.ing you if you don't give us your IP...

  2. Wind? by toeofdestiny · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think it's time for someone to file a patent on Earth, Fire, and Water. ;-)

    Wind is already patented?

  3. Re:Hehe by mgs1000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sure they are just trying to cash in on the fact that IE will automatically try to download the Flash plugin.

  4. Re:RTFA! by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ah yes, patenting ftp and email to store your own files is sooooooooo much better.

    KFG

  5. Re:It Gets Worse by CrowScape · · Score: 5, Funny

    If they can enforce it they'll make a mint from all those spam/pr0n sites that try to change your homepage settings when you accidentally visit them.

    --
    common sense: noun
    What those who are ignorant of the subject matter think; usually wrong.
  6. Re:It Gets Worse by jeffkjo1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh yea, accidentally, I bet.

  7. Obvious? by redgopher · · Score: 5, Funny
    I think it's time for someone to file a patent on Earth, Fire, and Water


    With your powers combined, I am Captain Patent!!

    --
    Insert clever one liner here.
  8. Re:RTFA! by Josh+Booth · · Score: 4, Funny

    Of course not, you just have to do a quick "rm -rf ~/.*" before you send your home directory to the backup computer. Just remember to "mv ~/.porn ~/porn" before you do that.

  9. MOD PARENT UP! by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    well, we're gonna have a hard time /.ing you if you don't give us your IP...

    Very nice pun, in a story about patents :)

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  10. Re:RTFA! by nomadic · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wish /.ers would check their facts before screaming how the sky is going to fall on our heads every time the USPTO grants a patent.

    It's a catch-22--if they did that, then they wouldn't be /.ers.