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UK Firm Patents Software Downloads

Posted by timothy on from the handy-things-patents-thousands-of-uses dept.

spike1 writes "The Register has a story about BTG (British Technology Group) acquiring a patent on software downloads ... If this is one area of tech that's not covered by prior art, I don't know what is. Although, the Reg doesn't include a link to the actual patents, out-law.com is also carrying the story and contains links to the patents, and looking at some of their patent synopses, it looks like it's a pretty broad brush."

2 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Re:back in the day by spike1 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Various TV programmes in the UK did similar things. Tomorrows world back in the early 80s tried a few methods of downloading from the telly.

    The old tape recorder next to the tv while we play you the loading sound was the first (I tried that with the ZX81 one they broadcast... didn't work, they also did vic 20 and later, spectrum, iirc). Later, they tried a direct connection to the computer via a light sensor stuck to the screen, and a flashing black and white square. (Think that one was only for the BBC micro though)

    The BAUD rate must've been in the 10s but it's still a software download... :)

    Other more game oriented computer programmes used to broadcast the loading sound to things on a weekly basis.

    Of course... All of this is forgetting Prestel and the games downloadable from teletext if you had the correct peripheral for your computer (again, BBC Micro only iirc)

  2. Re:These are the same people by MWelchUK · · Score: 3, Informative

    BT, Britain's monopolist telephone company. A phone company that makes you pay by the second for local calls.

    Ok, I have family that works for BT so I'll bite on this one. BT used to be a part of the post office, it was then split off as a private company and I believe it had a monopoly for a number of years. I think in about the last 10 years or so competition has been introduced (NTL, various others - I don't pay much attention) and the industry regulated by oftel (I believe a name change has happen recently).In the early-ish days of this non-monopoly market BT were thinking about offering free local calls, however oftel objected as this would kill the competition (which is a fair point, to some degree). Since then BT's market share has reduced and are now not in a position to offer such an attractive package.

    Before I get flamed into oblivion I would just like to add that I appriecate BT doesn't have the best of public images, however some of the competition make them smell of roses.