IBM Wants Patent For Regex SSN Validation

theodp writes "What do you get when you combine IBM contributors with the Dojo Foundation? A patent for Real-Time Validation of Text Input Fields Using Regular Expression Evaluation During Text Entry, assuming the newly-disclosed Big Blue patent application passes muster with the USPTO. IBM explains that the invention of four IBMers addresses a 'persistent problem that plagues Web form fields' — e.g., 'a social security number can be entered with or without dashes.' A non-legalese description of IBM's patent-pending invention can be found in The Official Dojo Documentation. While IBM has formed a Strategic Partnership With the Dojo Foundation which may protect one from a patent infringement lawsuit over validating phone numbers, concerns have been voiced over an exception clause in IBM's open source pledge."

Comments

What bullshit?

[Pig Hogger]

What is this buillshit? "A persistent problem is dashes in SSNs"???

How fucking hard is it to strip non-numeric characters from a string?

I cannot believe there could be such programmer incompetence; no, it has to be some managerial cluelessness and hard-headness.

Re:Prior Art so Prior It Hurts

[radtea]

as long as he doesn't sue anyone over the patent no puppies have been harmed.

And when the company gets bought out and the puppy-torturing plans get put into action by the new owners, and he screams, "But I didn't mean this to happen!" he will not be forgiven.