Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Computer Solitaire Patented?

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the euchre-and-cribbage-proceed-with-caution dept.

Sadburger writes "Saw this over on GameDev: 'Thomas Warfield of Pretty Good Solitaire is reporting in his most recent blog that: 'My company has received the following letter from a law firm claiming to have a client that has patented computer solitaire. And by extension, all computer card games. I am not kidding.' Patent law strikes again...' Anyone know a good patent lawyer?" Someone alert the educational sector, since at least half my programming classes involved solitaire, poker, or blackjack.

11 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory Joke by Tommy2099 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't know SCO had a games division.

    1. Re:Obligatory Joke by thelenm · · Score: 4, Funny

      Why would they need one? They don't have an OS division either.

      --
      Use Ctrl-C instead of ESC in Vim!
    2. Re:Obligatory Joke by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

      One wonders, that considering the troubles SCO has seen, what kind of harrasment might be provoked by this action against
      Goldberg; Sheldon F. (3360 E. Serene, Henderson, NV 89014);

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  2. Watch Out! by foistboinder · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm going to patent floating point math.

    --
    Yet Another Web Site
  3. The mother of all Patents! by Dutchmaan · · Score: 3, Funny


    I shall patent the process by which one attains a patent?.. and by extension all subsequent patents!

    I'll be a patent god with little bolts of patent energy zapping cash from every pore! People and corporations alike will fall at my feet and beg for mercy as I pitilessly strip them of financial resources...

    BEHOLD! I *AM* PATENT LAW!

  4. Computer Solitaire? by Bonewalker · · Score: 4, Funny
    That's stupid. Computers don't even like card games. Except for WOPR, who was all about playing games.

    Why would they sit around for hours playing (cards) with themselves?

    I wonder if I could patent human solitaire? Or better yet, humans playing with themselves...I would be richer than Billy Gates!

    1. Re:Computer Solitaire? by El · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, OS/2 shipped with a solitaire game (Yukon) that would play itself, thus saving the users countless hours of time and freeing them up to perform more productive tasks!

      --

      "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  5. Microsoft will stomp on this by Muda69 · · Score: 3, Funny

    If this is allowed to happen all the MCSE's (Minesweeper Consultants, Solitaire Experts) will have to pay royalties.

  6. Dear Thomas Warfield: by josephgrossberg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Go play with yourself.

    --

    Joe
    http://www.joegrossberg.com
  7. In that case... by BTWR · · Score: 3, Funny

    I am hereby filing a patent for a programs in which the output "Hello World" comes up on the screen.

    Anyone who copies this will feel the wrath of my lawyers...

  8. Re:Maybe the patent office never heard of Wes Cher by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    They're specifically patenting providing card games over a network.

    Solitaire over a network? Sounds like a very unbalanced players/observers ratio there.

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?