IBM Granted "Paper-or-Plastic?" Patent

theodp writes "On Tuesday, IBM was granted US Patent No. 7,407,089 for storing a preference for paper or plastic grocery bags on customer cards and displaying a picture of said preference after a card is scanned. The invention, Big Blue explains, eliminates the 'unnecessary inconvenience for both the customer and the cashier' that results when 'Paper or Plastic?' must be asked. The patent claims also cover affixing a cute sticker of a paper or plastic bag to a customer card to indicate packaging preferences. So does this pass the 'significant technical content' test, IBM'ers?"

Comments

This won't have an effect in Belgium

[houghi]

We have no bags at the supermarkets anymore, unless you buy them. So almost everybody has bags or boxes that will last much longer.

Environment and such, ya know. Other countries do the same, I believe.

Re:This won't have an effect in Belgium

[mrboyd]

I used to reuse the plastic bag as trash bag like everyone else. Now I have to buy my grocery bag almost everytime I go shopping and buy additional trash bags which seems to be made of thicker plastic than the shopping bags I had before.

Carbon neutrality or disguised corporate greed? You choose.

So what is the invention???

[TheJasper]

Databases have been known for a few years now. Customer identification cards as well. So now you can patent specific pieces of information when tied to the identification?

Maybe I'm stupid but it seems to me that the system might be in need revision. Perhaps IBM was trying to make a point?

Re:I never really hear what is wrong with plastic.

[Atario]

Maybe stuff like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch