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Company Aims To Patent Security Patches

Posted by kdawson on from the winner-of-the-race-to-the-bottom dept.

Jonas Maebe writes "Someone thought up another way to profiteer from the software patent system: when a security hole is discovered, they'll try to patent the fix in order to collect money when the affected vendors close the hole in their product. The company in question is not shy about its intentions: Intellectual Weapons will only consider vulnerabilities in high-profile products from vendors with deep pockets. Let's be thankful for yet another way software patents are used to promote science and the useful arts."

3 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. A great idea by antoinjapan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I for one think this is a great idea. Nothing will speed up software patent reform faster than when companies are unable to fix bugs in their products without paying. On the flip side should they succeed with this companies may see better quality control leading to increased savings in the long run, giving us all stable software from the get go. It's win-win, race to the bottom I say, make haste.

    1. Re:A great idea by madcow_bg · · Score: 4, Interesting

      OTOH, just imagine the dialogue:
      User: I want it fixed, now!
      Company: No can't do, sir. We are prohibited by law to do this.
      ... and since the people does not control the legislators in the USA ...

  2. tut. by joe+155 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But they would need to be really fast to get the application in, and it would surely need not to mention the actual product, right? Because if they said "a method for preventing a macro hole in Word from executing", or something, wouldn't MS be able to sue on the grounds of reverse engineering/ copyright/ their own patents.

    I kinda feel that this wouldn't really be practical.

    --
    *''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''