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Google Patents the Design of Search Results Page
prostoalex writes "ZDNet is reporting that USPTO issued a patent to Google, Inc. for 'ornamental design for a graphical user interface'. This is not, as ZDNet points out, a software patent (which is usually issued as a utility patent), but a design patent, which governs the look and feel of the product and prevents others from directly copying it." Ironic, given Google's recent slip-up of copying a Yahoo page. In news on the flipside, Google has launched a patent search service (in beta).
According to Googlel, the best way to ascertain how evil you are is to take a quiz. As far as this quiz is concerned, your stance on software patents has nothing to do with it.
Really though, Google's "do no evil" schtick is just a bunch of crap^H^H^H^H marketing gibberish. Google does page rank really well, and sells lots of ad sense. They have hired lots of smart people. Try to get Google to delete your gmail. Try to get Google out of China. Try to get Google to take an ethical stance on software patents or copyrights. Just what did Google do, exactly, that makes anyone think they deserve the moral high ground. I can't think of a single thing, other than they don't suck as hard as MS. Yet.
It's time for people to stop inhaling all the smoke Google is blowing.