Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Netflix Suing Blockbuster for Patent Infringement

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the there-can-be-only-one dept.

grouchomarxist writes "Netflix is suing Blockbuster for Patent Infringement. From the article: 'Netflix holds two U.S. patents for its business methodology, which calls for subscribers to pay a monthly fee to select and rent DVDs from the company's Web site and to maintain a list of titles telling Netflix in which order to ship the films, according to the patents, which were included as exhibits in the lawsuit. The first patent, granted in 2003, covers the method by which Netflix customers select and receive a certain number of movies at a time, and return them for more titles. The second patent, issued on Tuesday, "covers a method for subscription-based online rental that allows subscribers to keep the DVDs they rent for as long as they wish without incurring any late fees, to obtain new DVDs without incurring additional charges and to prioritize and reprioritize their own personal dynamic queue -- of DVDs to be rented," the lawsuit said.'"

4 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. Anyone wanting to discuss this intelligently ... by Throtex · · Score: 5, Informative

    ... should probably take the time to read the patents in controversy assigned to Netflix first.

    They are:
    US Patent No. 6,966,484 to Calonje, et al.; and
    US Patent No. 7,024,381 to Hastings, et al.

    As you do so, look at the claim language, not the specification, to find out what the invention actually covers. Discuss.

  2. Re:Library patents by montyzooooma · · Score: 3, Informative

    No, because this is ONLINE. Throw "on the internet" in there and you can patent pretty much any existing business practice. Other magic phrases are "on a handheld device" or "on a games console".

  3. Re:Patents on business methods are stupid. by hackstraw · · Score: 4, Informative

    So what if they're copying your business methods - thats called competition.

    Nobody that uses patents as their business model wants competition. Just ask Tom Woolston.

    Hint. He's a patent attorney, who loves to be his own customer.

  4. Re:Patents on business methods are stupid. by Respawner · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually we don't have to wait,there was a story about a lawsuit like this. A federal circuit court held that mere thinking violates the patent, it was about a patented fact. http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/19/18 16207 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/opinion/19cricht on.html?ex=1300424400&en=9addb806498d2739&ei=5088& partner=rssnyt&emc=rss