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Amazon Asks Congress to Curb Patent Abusers

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the good-for-the-gander dept.

theodp writes "As Amazon urged Congress to change the law to protect the e-tailler from patent abusers, Rep. Lamar Smith had a question: 'Could not Amazon.com be accused of being a troll for patenting the one-click?' Smith asked, a wry smile on his face." While it's nice to see to see tech companies behind such legislation, it would seem there's some pots calling the kettle black, so to speak.

8 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. Ok... by HotBlackDessiato · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...as long the protection is limited to abuse by small companies with little countervailing influence in the polical process. Otherwise the whole thing could just become a farce.

    --
    "If you don't have eyes you shouldn't have wings" -- Carl Pilkington
  2. Abuse of my intellectual property by jacobw · · Score: 5, Funny
    While it's nice to see to see tech companies behind such legislation, it would seem there's some pots calling the kettle black, so to speak.
    Dear Slashdot,

    Your recent article ("Amazon Asks Congress to Curb Patent Abusers") is in clear violation of Patent #1805-J-9, "A Method For Comparing Hypocritical Actions Performed By Humans To Hypothetical Actions Performed By Articulate, Similarly Colored Kitchenware," which was recently awarded to Jacobw Incorporated. Please cease and desist your use of our patented metaphors, similes, and other rhetorical tropes.

    Sincerely,
    Jacobw Incorporated
    --
    Arr! Read The Government Manual for New Pirates!
    1. Re:Abuse of my intellectual property by professionalfurryele · · Score: 2, Funny

      No no no, that patent is invalid, to make it valid it should read:

      "A Method For Comparing Hypocritical Actions Performed By Humans To Hypothetical Actions Performed By Articulate, Similarly Colored Kitchenware ON A COMPUTER..."

  3. The solution is: by ichigo+2.0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://www.pirate-party.us/

  4. nice rep by merlin_jim · · Score: 3, Funny

    'Could not Amazon.com be accused of being a troll for patenting the one-click?'

    He showed both familiarity with Amazon's sordid patent past and managed to use the word troll during a session of congress!

    I'm impressed. Wish I was his constituent...

    --
    I am disrespectful to dirt! Can you see that I am serious?!
  5. Amazon Asks Congress to Club Patent Abusers by Numtek · · Score: 4, Funny

    is what I first read, eyes half open over my first coffee.

  6. Re:A simple fix for patents by eth1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    And add to that one other fairly simple change: First patent app this year? $100. 2nd: $200. 3rd: $400. 20th: $52,428,800. Better make sure that patent's worth it.

    Yeah, you might kinda be able to get around it by creating a stub company just to hold the patent, but you'd still have to license it from them. Just have to make sure the license terms can't be discriminatory.

  7. Re:Submarine-patents by bigpat · · Score: 2, Funny

    I swear, Slashdot should stick to technology and leave the legal commentary to people who know better. ....

    Tell you what, the techies will stop bitching about the law when the lawyers stop trying to control the tech. Don't hold your breath.

    I'd take that a bit further and say that people will stop commenting on the law when it only applies to lawyers.