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Xybernaut Patents Collar Computer

Posted by timothy on from the rational-action-in-an-irrational-system dept.

igargoyle writes "Wearable Computer manufacturer, Xybernaut, has encouraged the kludge that is the patent office by patenting collar based wearable computers. Besides being extremely vague, the whole thing sounds likes the Slashdot article, 'A Linux Machine For Your Collar.' There are many references to this idea, and computer collars have been used as nomadic radios and animal tracking devices before. Please help encourage this company to stop wasting taxpayer's money and encourage innovation instead of preventing it."

3 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. Sigh... the patent office stuffs up again by MrRTFM · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How many times does this shit have to happen before the Patent Office is called to account for itself.

    There have been so many stupid patents in the last few years that I have lost count - patents which have OBVIOUS prior art and are EASILY disputed. Silly patents are becoming the norm, and yet there isnt much news on the dispute of them - perhaps there should be a very serious penalty to companies which patent obvoius things (like one click shopping, etc)

    --
    You can't expect to wield supreme executive power, just because some watery tart threw a sword at you
  2. Text of Patent by Twinky · · Score: 5, Informative

    Before you reply, please read the patent file.

  3. How are they wasting taxpayer's money? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > stop wasting taxpayer's money

    Patent applications are not free. And neither are the patent maintenance fees (if the patent is issued).

    The USPTO collects so much in fees that the government takes some of the money collected by the USPTO and spends it elsewhere.

    Instead of complaining about companies voluntarily PAYING fees to our federal government, we should complain about HOW that money is spent--for example, complaining about the USPTO not being able to use all the collected fees to improve itself would be the smarter thing to do.

    If you read the patent laws and policies, you'd see that innovation isn't hurt, but actually helped by "correct" patents. The problem is with patents being granted that do not meet the legal requirements in the first place. But then, those scenarios can play out in court later on and the patent will get killed if it was undeserving of a grant.