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Epicrealm Uses Vague Patents to sue Web Sites
An anonymous reader writes "InfoSpinner/epicRealm holds two patents that basically describe every dynamic Web site in existence and is now using them to sue companies like eHarmony.
This patent seems to describe a standard web/application server setup.
This one describes 'dynamically generating a Web page in response to the request, the Web page including data dynamically retrieved from one or more data sources.'
If enforced, these patents could shut down almost every dynamic site on the Internet, including the USPTO."
If enforced, these patents could shut down almost every dynamic site on the Internet, including the USPTO
Ahh the wonders of living in Europe. Let's just hope it lasts.
Simon
Then get him good and soused and get him to sign off on a lawsuit against the USPTO. Should be good for five years worth of Slashdot fun.
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
Well, there goes their chance of finding a lasting, loving relationship.
Well, I think it's a good thing to happen because of the massive irony it introduces. Now, the US Government itself can be sued due to a vague and shitty patent! If this doesn't introduce any sort of patent reform, then someone will need to patent "the act of patenting something".
'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
Well, I'm sure many slashdotters are quite familiar with doing certain things by hand and probably would agree that it can be kinda fun, but doing /. itself by hand, no, doesn't sound to great imho.
Slashdot, being completely free of any and all dynamic individuals, will be completely immune to anything Epicrealm can throw at it.
Cyde Weys Musings - Scrutinizing the inscrutable
Would Einstein have let these patents through? Maybe the problem we have is that our patent officials are TOO smart and are busy discovering the next major breakthrough in quantum physics instead of batting back nonsense patents of wheels and such. Bless 'em
USPTO shuts itself down for patent infringement.
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Without a God, life is only a matter of opinion.
--Douglas Adams
From their Claim #1:
1. A computer-implemented method for managing a dynamic Web page generation request to a Web server, said computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:
routing a request from a Web server to a page server, said page server receiving said request and releasing said Web server to process other requests wherein said routing step further includes the steps of:
intercepting said request at said Web server and routing said request to said page server;
processing said request, said processing being performed by said page server while said Web server concurrently processes said other requests; and
dynamically generating a Web page in response to said request, said Web page including data dynamically retrieved from one or more data sources.
Have no fear, I shall patent the word 'said' and venge the Web!
[alk]
I Give up! I'm going to become a lawyer, unless they've patented that too.
Is that right after the Boston Baked Beans potluck?
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
All of you guys owe me money. Oh, wait. This is slashdot. Never mind...
Unfortunately there is no country in the world who could build a rocket (unless they allowed something like an Orion) big enough to carry all the lawyers.
I might not be a wit, but at least I am more than half way there.
I hereby patent patenting, people patenting patents, and people who patent people who patent patenting or patents.
You owe me $.04 and a Starbucks Soy Latte per thought.
Coming soon:
Tagline: "patent or be sued!"
Object: Patent everything you can and profit from the work of others.
Method of play:
-Everybody starts with venture capital of $100,000.
-As you go around the board you collect cash (via sales cards), Patents (via patents cards)that you can buy if you want, and inventions (via inventions cards).
-sales cards: gives you the option to sell a product if you have the invention card for it.
-patents cards: You buy them If you want. Any patents not bought are put into the "Public domain" pile. A player can only hold a patent card for up to 10 turns, after which they go the the "Public domain" pile.
-invention cards: Are free when you land on the square on the board. If the "invention" is already patented by another player, that other player CAN sue for the cost of the patent. The patent owner can also not reveal that he/she hold that patent cards for up to 10 turns. The player with the patent card can, at the time of his choosing, sue the player with the Invention card for twice the "Sales" that player has received.
Note: If a patent card is bought and another player already has the "Invention card", each place $10000 in a pile and each spin their own USPTO wheel (Patent Wins - Invention wins -settlement). Both wheels must match. If not, each player adds another $5000 to the pile, and spin again. This can continue until one or both players run out of money. If Settlement is the outcome, the pot is split between players.
Obama's legacy: (N)othing (S)ecure (A)nywhere and (T)error (S)imulation (A)dministration
epicRealm pretty much imploded a couple of years ago. I suspect all that remains is a holding company that retains the IPR associated with their patents. (I worked with a couple of the guys that pretty much shut the lights off on their way out of the company -- some of the most brilliant engineers I've had the pleasure of working with).
Another very useful observation about epicRealm is that the letters of its name can be rearranged to spell "Ripe camel." I can't take credit for this observation, however; that honor goes to an anonymous employee who made that physical rearrangement of their official logo on the entrance to their main offices around the time everything started going down the tubes.
I agree in principle, although I propose an alternate punishment. They should be punched in the face many many times by a rather large fellow wearing the pets.com sock puppet on his fist.
cat
Drop me a line, I can hook you up with the licensing for the puppet. And would be delighted to do so.
Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
As an homage to Ajax, the greek god of soiled handbasins ..?