Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Regifting Not Just A Seinfeld Gag -- It's Patented

Posted by timothy on from the no-blushing-'cause-there's-no-shame dept.

theodp writes "While the jury's still out on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' gifting patent, the USPTO has given thumbs-up to a patent for regifting. The electronic regifting patent, which cites a Seinfeld episode and Bezos' pending patent application as prior art, was awarded to an individual who also holds a patent for exchanging online gifts."

3 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Online gifts only by Josh+Booth · · Score: 4, Informative

    This patent applies to online gifts only, which are indeed convered by this guy's earier patent. Why someone would opt-in to a system that allows the recipient of a gift to trade it for something else without even recieving it is beyond me.

  2. Re:Following along from Seinfeld... by seinman · · Score: 2, Informative
    4) Nothing.
    There's already a copyright on that one.
  3. Wasn't this in 'The Hobbit'? by sanctimonius+hypocrt · · Score: 3, Informative

    I think there's a reference to old 'gifts' called mathoms(?). Whoever had one would give it to the next person who was due a gift, and so on.