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EFF Runs Patent-Busting Challenge

Posted by michael on from the one-click dept.

markclong writes "Every year numerous illegitimate patent applications make their way through the United States patent examination process without adequate review. The problem is particularly acute in the software and Internet fields where the history of prior inventions (often called "prior art") is widely distributed and poorly documented. As a result, we have seen patents asserted on such simple technologies as One-click online shopping (U.S. Patent No. 5,960,411.), Online shopping carts (U.S. Patent No. 5,715,314.), The hyperlink (U.S. Patent No. 4,873,662.). The EFF is hosting a patent busting project to fight the most egregious abuses of the patent system."

3 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Might this not rather support the patent system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    US patent system does not want to spend the time/money

    The problem is that Congress won't give the USPTO the money it requires to do its job. This is on its way to changing with the new fee bill H.R. 1561, but it may take some time. It is still largely a step in the right direction.

  2. Problem started in 91 by opencity · · Score: 4, Informative
    Probably partisan of me but this problem started at the end of the previous Bush (41) admin when downsizing the government starting forcing the patent office to pay for itself.

    I got called for a job once when some friends had a patent and wanted me to dummy the technology in Flash - they already had the patent(?!), which I scrolled through, and some fun double talk about the technology. I said this was the 'Artist conception of flying car' patent. We haven't built it, but we want to sue you if you figure it out.

    --
    Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
  3. Re:So what's new? by stinkfoot · · Score: 5, Informative

    Is this article a duplicate of an article from nearly two months ago? Or is there some specific news about this patent-busting project? The blurb didn't seem to help.

    the public call-for-submissions ("contest") part of the project was launched yesterday. the post wasn't very clear about that...

    contest:
    http://www.eff.org/patent/contest/

    press release:
    http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2004_06.php#00160 0