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Altnet Threatens P2P Companies Over File Hash Patents

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the knuth-cited dept.

devil_doll writes "I saw over on p2pnet that Altnet is trying to 'mug' a number of P2P companies with seemingly bogus patents. One of them is titled 'Data processing system using substantially unique identifiers to identify data items, whereby identical data items have the same identifiers,' and appears to be nothing more than a simple hash table."

9 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Another great move in the patent office by n0dalus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Next they'll be patenting making dumb patents.

  2. What?! by EMIce · · Score: 4, Funny

    You need a special table to make hash?

    Here is s simpler way -

    1) Powder dry herb
    2) Place in a jar of 90% isopropyl alcohol
    3) Shake vigorously for 2 minutes
    4) Strain, filter
    5) Evaporate on a plate over a source of steam
    6) Scrape up the goodies
    7) Profit

    1. Re:What?! by EMIce · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, that was suppose to be anonymous. Ahh well.

    2. Re:What?! by eclectro · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, that was suppose to be anonymous. Ahh well.

      The Dept. of Homeland security has just dispatched the black helicopters. Please get up from your hash table and exit your mom's basement with your hands on your head.

      --
      Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  3. Hey dude, I don't get it... by KontinMonet · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...isn't a hash table just something to stop your hash dropping on the floor? I know the USPTO has made some weird decisions, but still...

    --
    Did he inhale?
  4. Somebody inform USPTO they violate law. by Vo0k · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unique association of identification string ("the patent number") with the content of the patent is obviously patented under patent# 5,978,791 for which USPTO most obviously doesn't have patent rights. So most obviously they are in violation of a patent they have granted.

    --
    Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
  5. Re:Bullshit they are patenting the hash table... by Dogtanian · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's nothing like a programming language, but more like Boolean expressions, kid.

    Really? You'll be telling us next that our u83r-1337 HTML-coding skills don't count as "programming". Hah!

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  6. Resistance is futile by incabulos · · Score: 2, Funny

    I am utterly certain this will be _the_ decisive blow in the great saga of MPAA/RIAA vs P2P. The P2P companies have nothing but the utmost respect for all Intellectual Property, Copyright in particular. I'm sure they revere and respect Patents equally and will hasten to ensure that they are free of all infringement immediately.

  7. Re:prior art by hackstraw · · Score: 2, Funny


    prior art -- HA!

    All p2p applications have to do is use a data processing system using substantially similar identifiers to identify data items, whereby identical data items have the different identifiers.

    Come on. Using unique identifiers to uniquely differentiate one item from another, bah, thats so 20th century. Think about how easy but unnecessary it would be to steal one's identity once we all have the same social security number.

    Damn, then money will all have the same numbers on it too, so a penny would equal a 1,000,000 bill and vice versa. This could be much more fun!