Slashdot Mirror
Singapore Firm Claims Patent Breach By Virtually All Websites
An anonymous reader writes "A Singapore firm, VueStar has threatened to sue websites that use pictures or graphics to link to another page, claiming it owns the patent for a technology used by millions around the world. The company is also planning to take on giants like Microsoft and Google. It is a battle that could, at least in theory, upend the Internet. The firm has been sending out invoices to Singapore companies since last week asking them to pay up."
I wonder if US companies will honor this patent.
"Thanks for all the money you paid to us. We've used it to buy off ISO among other things" -Microsoft
Seriously, patents are fucking stupid. So is IP(intellectual property). Get rid of these, and world peace would happen over night.
Enlightenment is the elimination of that which is unnecessary.
I have patented the carriage return linefeed combination. Anyone implementing br tags owes me 0.000000005 dollars per violation.
which is totally what she said
Where's the "goodluckwiththat" tag when you need it?
SCO has a patent of judicial extortion that should sink this little problem. Microsoft will unleash them in five minutes.
I am a name troll of Westlake. Visit my homepage to learn why.
1. Porn
2. Have an idea and get bought out before you lose too much cash.
3. Porn
4. Make a nuisance of yourself and get bought out before you lose too much cash.
That may be it. Then again, if they piss people off SCO style, they could be in for a rough time.
... I've waited long enough. Now, after years of silence, it's time to reveal that I own the patent:
"Use something to do something"
I think a trivial $.01/use is an acceptable royalty. Start paying up. :)
Proudly supporting the Libertarian Party.
I'm glad to see that we've even managed to outsource patent trolls.
Quick... someone start making shirts that say:
... its about time those DeCSS shirts got replaced.
<a href="link"><img src="picture"></a>
Hey guys, I've just submitted a patent request for "Any device which uses electricity to perform calculations, render images or display useless news"... Get ready to pay you thieving bastards
New hotness: It's an Asian company this time, not some asshats here in California.
Slashdot: They're competing for Al Gore's crown as "inventor of der interwebs".
*facepalm*
That's obviously invalid. One important requirement for patentability is that an invention must be useful.
All I know is that in Singapore, caning is an accepted form of punishment. Let's hope in this case they employ that punishment.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
This quote from the cease and desist tipped me off:
All your sites are belong to us.
__ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.
Actually, the Israelites had a patent on a method of living in that particular region. When they were swept off the map, however, the Paletinians went and patented the same thing. Now the Israelites have redefined themselves as a new brand (the Israelis) and demand that thir patend be counted as prior art (and, if possible, reinstated). The Palestinians decline, the Israelis don't care and what follows is one of the uglier copyright wars of the recent past.
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
we claim a patent on web browsers and hold the world hostage for... ONE MILLIONS DOLLARS!
It this becomes big, I bet everyone at Craigslist will be cracking a smile to themselves.
I set my monitor on its side! Ha HA! I foil you yet again!!!
---- Liquid was a patriot ----
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
The firm has been sending out invoices to Singapore companies since last week asking them to pay up."
Most companies aren't taking the invoices seriously because they ask for your checking account number before they can give you the money owed to you by the death of your long lost, rich relative.
Oh yeah... and because they were delivered by an 8 year-old male prostitute named Chen. When it absolutely, positively, has to be delivered there by a male prostitute: Singapore Express. It's everywhere you don't want your wife to be.
I have it on good authority that the invoices are printed on recycled SCO Linux Invoices. It saves paper and has the same basic value. In fact it is probably Daryl that owns the company. This smells like him.