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IBM Ditches Outsourcing Patent

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the whoops-our-bad dept.

Xenographic writes "IBM has dropped their controversial outsourcing patent, both withdrawing the application and placing it into the public domain. Apparently, it was filed eight months before they implemented more stringent reviews of their patent applications so as to avoid filing for obvious patents, especially business method patents. The notice also says that they would like to thank the community for bringing it to their attention."

15 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. it's patently ridiculous by User+956 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apparently, it was filed eight months before they implemented more stringent reviews of their patent applications so as to avoid filing for obvious patents, especially business method patents.

    As a matter of fact, they've patented their stringent review process, and would like to take this opportunity to tout their reasonable patent review process licensing terms.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  2. Speechless by mrbill1234 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not seeing anyone comment on this yet - I think everyone must feel the same as me.

    Speechless.

    Kudos to IBM.

    1. Re:Speechless by rsmith-mac · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We're only speechless because we're still trying to figure out what the catch is. IBM is a company, companies as a rule of thumb aren't nice when it means they're not making money for their shareholders. Just take a look at their comments, it wreaks of PR-speak.

      If they passed on this patent, there's a reason why, and it's not because they're trying to be "nice."

    2. Re:Speechless by marcello_dl · · Score: 4, Insightful

      > IBM is a company, companies as a rule of thumb aren't nice when it means they're not making money for their shareholders.

      Maybe it all boiled down to considering the potential dollars coming from that patent, net of the probable litigation costs, Vs the actual loss of face in front of the geeks that are helping IBM fight MS dominance in the desktop OS.

      Well done IBM, the currently less evil of 'em all.

      --
      ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
    3. Re:Speechless by mrbill1234 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Regardless of the motive - they did the right thing.

      This is something to applaud rather than pour scorn on.

    4. Re:Speechless by Djinh · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why does everyone act like it's perfectly normal for companies to act in a completely anti-social manner? I think most people wouldn't accept that from their neighbours and that anti-social actions by companies is hurting our world more than ever.

      The future is not in the type of market fundamentalism that we see around us so much. The future is in every part of our society acting somewhat responsibly. IBM is further along that curve than most companies.

      This is a good thing, no need to be super-cynical about it.

    5. Re:Speechless by smilindog2000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, more kudos to IBM! Frankly, with this long string of seemingly good-guy/non-evil actions from IBM, I'm tempted to try to send them more business. I don't know about the rest of us here, but over the years, I suspect I've influenced decision makers' vendor choices to the tune of probably about $1M/year now. That includes sending a bunch of guys to Dell (and now HP), RedHat (and now Ubuntu), steering people clear of Novel (and now Apple). I suspect that the sum total of business influenced by we geeks who care about this kind of thing is billions. Good for IBM to get it.

      --
      Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy.
    6. Re:Speechless by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well done IBM, the currently less evil of 'em all.

      If Bill Gates could see what you wrote, he'll stay there staring at his giant screen with his jaw dropped for the longest time ever, then fall on the floor dead.

  3. That's OK. by gbutler69 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's OK for a company to make money. It's OK for a company to want to make money. It's OK for a company to "push the envelope" to make money.

    It is also OK for all of us to PUSH BACK! With words. With our purchases. With actions.

    A good company will respond to the wishes of the public and will no when they are about to step over a line the public will not stand for. Admitting they are wrong is a good thing.

    Does it mean they won't try something similar in the future? Perhaps, but, that is not the point. The point is that they will respect the voice of the public if the public makes itself heard.

    That is really all we can ask for. It is good that things like Slashdot and the rest of the internet allow us all to so unequivocally express our displeasure and let it be known that we feel a company's actions are overstepping what WE THE PEOPLE feel is appropriate.

    It is good that a company can get such a clear message to provide them appropriate moral and ethical direction.

    --
    Over-the-top Response Guy! Giving "Over-the-Top Responses" since 1970.
  4. Wow by suv4x4 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apparently, it was filed eight months before they implemented more stringent reviews of their patent applications so as to avoid filing for obvious patents, especially business method patents.

    Wow... so they did that? Now I know, IBM is a corporation as any, working for profit, and they probably had reasons better than altruism to drop a patent that could cause them issues in court in the future.

    But I almost shed a tear reading this, a company giving up on a patent on their own since they consider it obvious. Next thing you know, we'll be allowed to do things with a single click.

  5. Re:IBM = Indian Business Machines by pix · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Bitter? Twisted? Join the IBM bashing. Yes - there will be jobs outsourced to India, China, Eastern Europe, Africa...indeed anywhere where there are cheaper skilled workers to provide service. That's the way that services companies (all of them...not just IBM) win their business. How many American companies do you know that would choose to pay more for their services to keep the jobs at the supplier in the US?

    But IBM is more than just a services company...it does have a social conscience (world community grid, OO.o, patents, support for Linux etc etc), it produces some fantastic technology (System z mainframes, some of the best Unix boxes, some amazing software)...it does real research, not just product development, but real, pure research into physics, computer science...it is actively promoting green computing.

    Sure - it's not perfect, there are always bits of a large corporate that are going to be "evil"(TM), I for one am glad that IBM is not a M$, or a SCO etc.

    And yes, I do work for IBM, so I am biased. I do feel for my colleagues who are being outsourced...but I know that IBM will do its utmost to find them good jobs.

  6. This patent? by ThirdPrize · · Score: 4, Informative

    Is this the one? In which case all they were patenting was an application that worked out which bits of the company you could outsource. It seems very vague to say the least.

    --
    I have excellent Karma and I am not afraid to Troll it.
  7. Actually... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bitter? Twisted? Join the IBM bashing. Yes - there will be jobs outsourced to India, China, Eastern Europe, Africa...indeed anywhere where there are cheaper skilled workers to provide service. That's the way that services companies (all of them...not just IBM) win their business. How many American companies do you know that would choose to pay more for their services to keep the jobs at the supplier in the US?

    But IBM is more than just a services company...it does have a social conscience (world community grid, OO.o, patents, support for Linux etc etc), it produces some fantastic technology (System z mainframes, some of the best Unix boxes, some amazing software)...it does real research, not just product development, but real, pure research into physics, computer science...it is actively promoting green computing.

    Sure - it's not perfect, there are always bits of a large corporate that are going to be "evil"(TM), I for one am glad that IBM is not a M$, or a SCO etc.

    And yes, I do work for IBM, so I am biased. I do feel for my colleagues who are being outsourced...but I know that IBM will do its utmost to find them good jobs.

    1. Re:Actually... by MMC+Monster · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I always wonder about things like this.

      For a multinational corporation as big as IBM, is it "evil" for them to outsource jobs to India, China, etc? What if they outsourced jobs to the U.S. Would that be considered evil as well?

      By moving jobs to where the labor is cheaper, they are proping up those economies. The more money the people have in poorer nations, the more companies will flourish there, providing more customers for services & products produced by IBM.

      It's a long-term plan for a company that plans to be around decades from now. Should it be labeled evil?

      --
      Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
    2. Re:Actually... by raddan · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's hard, and one could argue, irrational, not to be concerned about one's own financial well-being. You don't hear many people saying, "I lost my job, but by golly, free trade will work it all out in the end!"

      So while it may be true that free trade is better for the world, in aggregate, it does not change the fact that it is worse for many individuals. Considering that the individual is almost always powerless in the employer-employee relationship, especially in the case of a multinational corporation, I find it hard to have sympathy for the corporation. I won't even get into comparing the expense accounts of the highest-paid employees to the wages of the lowest-paid.