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Sun Files For Patent on Software Licensing Method

Posted by michael on from the deep-sigh dept.

cft_128 writes "CNet writes that Sun Microsystems President Jonathan Schwartz has filed for three new patents, one of them on the companies per-employee software pricing plan. The pricing patent application was summarized: 'Method for licensing software to an entity, including determining a per-employee cost for the software, determining a number of employees of the entity, and determining a total licensing cost using the number of employees and the per-employee cost, wherein the total licensing cost comprises a software license for all employees of the entity and all customers of the entity.' The plan was introduced last year on Sun's Java Enterprise System, charging $100 per employee. Schwartz did say that any money the patents generate will be donated to charities."

6 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. Patenting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm curious, when are they going to patent the rogue patenting method?

  2. Bleh by mfh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah who would have thought Sun would change their behaviour after that famous settlement? I mean this patent reads like, "we are going to calculate how to make lots of money and double it by preventing others from doing the same".

    Schwartz did say that any money the patents generate will be donated to charities.

    Yeah, sure. What percentage? There is absolutely no way to qualify that shit, so I don't buy it. Business plays the charity card when they know the public image will take a hit from a particular action. The Cnet title reads "Sun's Schwartz guns for patent glories", not Sun donates 100% of patent earnings to Cancer cure or anything like that.

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    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
  3. This is getting more ridiculous by the minute by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Does anybody else have the feeling that just when you read a story about a patent claim that is so absurd that you can hardly believe anyone would come up with it, let alone grant the patent and you think that it simply can't get any worse one of our beloved IT companies comes up with a patent claim that is even more ridiculous?

    How on earth the EU can contemplate bringing this braindead patent system to Europe is beyond me.

  4. What next ! by Dolphinzilla · · Score: 5, Funny

    Heck - what next, someone getting a patent on the combover ? Patenting of the combover

  5. You have 1 new message by maximilln · · Score: 5, Funny

    Relationship Change

    User SUN.COM has made you their foe.

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    +++ATHZ 99:5:80
  6. Re:Sigh :~ by Halo1 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Maybe not so obvious
    Who cares about obviousness here? The problem here is not in the first place novelty or obviousness, but subject matter. Why on earth should one be allowed to patent a licensing method? What's in that for the economy as a whole? Are companies not going to create new licensing methods if they can't "protect their investments" in "inventing" new licensing methods?

    How far are we still away from patents on investment methods, savings formulas of banks, etc? Patents were never intended for things like this. Not everything you do has to be monopolisable. A monopoly per definition has negative effects, so it's only justifiable to voluntarily give one if the positive effects of what you ask in exchange outweigh it.

    There is not even a hint of proof they do so in case of patents like this one.

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