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Desire2Learn Fights eLearning Patent

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the learning-wants-to-be-free dept.

Nordelius writes "Desire2Learn has responded to the patent infringement claim (PDF) cited by Blackboard Inc. regarding eLearning systems. They have argued that Blackboard was negligent in not submitting details of prior art with their patent application, and further alleged that the material described by the patent was documented in 1998 (PDF) by a collaborative international organization, IMSprogram.org, which was actually working with Blackboard at the time."

3 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Patent the wheel by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey asshole -- I didn't patent a "wheel". I patented a "rotary device for facilitation of translational motion". That's totally different.

    --
    Apology to Ubuntu forum.
  2. Question: any liability? by Baavgai · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Other than having the patent revoked, what is the real penalty to filing a blatantly invalid one?

    It would seem that there is no incentive not to file for every idea imaginable, if the repercussions are non existent or minimal.

  3. Re:Good grief! by lobut · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I was an intern at Desire2Learn and I know the whole dev, qa team and I still talk a few on msn. So I'm particularly outraged at this patent. It makes no sense and the claims that they make that they're just looking for getting some payment for what they've pioneered is just a flat-out lie. Btw Blackboard software is s*** in comparison anyways.