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IBM Patents Checking a Box

Posted by kdawson on from the science-and-the-useful-arts dept.

theodp writes "What do you call it when you drag a pointer over a checkbox to select or deselect it depending on its original state? Answer: US Patent 7,278,116. On Tuesday, the USPTO awarded IBM a patent for Mode Switching for Ad Hoc Checkbox Selection, aka Making an 'X'. Isn't this essentially the same concept as the older Lotus Notes selection model that IBM was recently asked to reintroduce?"

2 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Re: Patenting the Ugly!!? by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Wait a minute...

    If I had patented all the ridiculously ugly things I can think of, would that have prevented Microsoft DevelopersDevelopers(woohooo) from trashing both Office07 and IE7 User Interfaces?

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  2. Shaddap You Commies by alexborges · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    In OUR company, we protect our intelectual property using patents. This is the best way for humanity itself to develop breaking-ground technologies like this one: imagine when you have a checkbox and you want to select it but are to lazy to click on it... yeah, i know, you frown... it has happened to you.

    Well not anymore. IBM's wonderfully patented technology will CLICK FOR YOU!

    Now isnt that a great breakthrough in human-computer interaction?

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