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Man Claiming He Invented the Internet Sues
wiedzmin writes "A low-profile Chicago biologist, Michael Doyle, and his company Eola Technologies, who has once won a $521m patent lawsuit against Microsoft, claim that it was actually he and two co-inventors who invented, and patented, the "interactive web" before anyone else, back in 1993. Doyle argues that a program he created to allow doctors to view embryos over the early Internet, was the first program that allowed users to interact with images inside of a web browser window. He is therefore seeking royalties for the use of just about every modern interactive Internet technology, like watching videos or suggesting instant search results. Dozens of lawyers, representing the world's biggest internet companies, including Yahoo, Amazon, Google and YouTube are acting as defendants in the case, which has even seen Tim Berners-Lee testify on Tuesday."
It's come to this now? How bad does it have to get before the entire system is scrapped?
Many of the companies named has defendants have used patent laws to their advantage. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, especially since Tim Berners-Lee, who is completely against software patents, is set to testify.
We don't live in Shouldland.
I mean... if you file your claim decades after everyone was violating your patient isn't that your fault at a certain point?
I know big companies are basically forced to defend their trademark and copyrights or else risk that other people can do it with impunity. There's some requirement that you protest when this sort of thing happens.
So... shouldn't he have protested like... forever ago?
For the sake of argument, if his claims are all valid, they should be void now because he didn't act on them until now.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I think this is a sign of the times, because if $521 million isn't enough, I blame inflation. This troll is obviously starving and homeless because there not a bridge in existence big enough. Also, I invented the light bulb in 1995. Pay up bitches.
This guy claims he "allowed users to interact with images inside of a web browser window" ?? So a web browser was invented before the web itself? Can we ask him if the chicken or egg came first?
"Internet" != "Interactive Web"
Why sensationalize this lawsuit? It's absurd enough on its own merit.
So you not only sued Microsoft, you actually won 500 million. Regardless of whether this was a dick move on your part or not, good for you, you are now set for life (or 3).
Now why on Earth would you risk it all by going into litigation again?
His patent is about as valid as 99.999% of all computer-related patents from the last 25 years. Maybe if he sues the entire planet into oblivion, someone will admit how screwed up software patents are.
Ah, how I love my afternoon fantasies...
On a practical note, since this was an 'invention' in 1993, wouldn't the patent expire next year anyway (20 year patent life?) In that case, won't somebody like IBM just tie this up in the courts and give the lawyers something to chew on until it runs out anyway?
"I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
I was interacting with images (masturbating to porn) on my computer way before 1993 (BBS's in 1985).
Add to that what image file format did he use.
My karma is not a Chameleon.
He may as well "let it ride" and sue everyone for everything.
Gently reply
Even if combining file transfer [ftp] and image scrolling is patent-legally considered "novel", there is the question of damages. 1993 patents ran out (in the US) in 2010, so he cannot get any ongoing damages.
Optaining "back-damages" would be highly dependant on legal procedure, but I doubt he would be entitled to [m]any if he did not inform the alleged infringers during the period of their alleged infringement. It's not like browser coders were hard to see, find or email. Just another troll.
And this is why universities like UC should be forbidden by law to apply for patents and required to put all discoveries in the public domain. It makes them or their former faculty pull stupid stunts like this where protecting revenue from commercial spin-offs is more important than doing science and research.
Can we ask him if the chicken or egg came first?
Or is this more like claiming the chicken omelette came before either?
Internet != Web, sheesh. The Internet was around long before Doyle or Sir Tim or whoever invented the Web in 1993.
You'd think editors might know that by now, even here on /.
Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
Am I understanding the patent correctly in that it requires an external application to be infringing? So that something like ActiveX or QuickTime plugin would infringe, but pure HTML5 and Javascript (because there is no Interprocess Communication) would be non-infringing?
Based on the claims in this Patent, can anyone explain how Eolas is not in the right? I mean, I get that they didn't implement anything, but this was filed in 1994. It seems like anyone supporting the patent system would have to admit defeat on this (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc). If you're generally against software patents, that seems like the only argument. I don't see anything obvious about this from 1994.
It seems like the ViolaWWW would have been prior art that nullified this patent, but apparently the claims were not clear enough?
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
That is a direct quote from Al Gore in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on March 9, 1999. Now, his wording was off, and he later corrected himself by saying that he meant he helped promote the internet, and he pushed bills that moved the internet forward--he did not mean to claim actual credit for it's invention. However, the joke is still funny, and he DID claim it (albeit through poor wording).
Back in them Old BBS days we Had RIPScript and RIPScript 2
There was also a Graphical BBS Engine called Roboboard and its upgrade Roboboard/FX
There were systems like Prodigy, and AOL which had images...
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
What I want to know is: "How did 'inventing a web browser plugin' get turned into 'invented a network that has been in place since 1969'?" Seriously, I want to stab samzenpus in the face for letting this through. What's next? Will Bill Gates be said to have invented the microchip?
Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
That is a direct quote from Al Gore
Taken out-of-context and by your own admission, not what he meant to say. That's why it tiring and not funny any more.
Wow! You must have a whole team of comedy writers behind you to come up with such original wit.
He should win. Then finally it will become blatantly obvious that copyrights and patents must be abolished.
You can't handle the truth.
I filed for a patent on this joke in 1999, and, as soon as it is approved, I plan to sue everyone who ever used it into bankruptcy.
The Trojan Room Coffee Pot cam predates this by two years, though that was on a local network and didn't use a web browser. It didn't appear on the Internet until November, 1993.
The Netscape Fishcam shortly followed. I believe the first outdoor cam was at an antartic research station shortly after that.
Moving images were enabled by the "server-push" feature in Netscape's server and client. I'm assuming this used that technology, which of necessity would have pre-dated this claim. I would think the use case would be obvious.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_Room_coffee_pot
The "patent" fig 9 discusses how to get the NCSA Mosaic 2.4 browser to display his object. He did NOT invent the Internet. He did NOT even invent NCSA Mosaic. He claims to have invented a way to view *his* 3D imaging object within a standard (at the time) browser. While there are some applicatons for viewing 3D within a browser, but I don't think they all need X-Windows protocols and the specific framework laid out in this patent to work within that particular viewing paradigm. Lets not panic just yet.
Note that "create" is not the same as "invent."
From Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn :
No one person or even small group of persons exclusively "invented" the
Internet. It is the result of many years of ongoing collaboration among
people in government and the university community. But as the two people
who designed the basic architecture and the core protocols that make the
Internet work, we would like to acknowledge VP Gore's contributions as a
Congressman, Senator and as Vice President. No other elected official, to
our knowledge, has made a greater contribution over a longer period of time.
Last year the Vice President made a straightforward statement on his
role. He said: "During my service in the United States Congress I took the
initiative in creating the Internet." We don't think, as some people have
argued, that Gore intended to claim he "invented" the Internet. Moreover,
there is no question in our minds that while serving as Senator, Gore's
initiatives had a significant and beneficial effect on the still-evolving
Internet. The fact of the matter is that Gore was talking about and
promoting the Internet long before most people were listening. We feel it
is timely to offer our perspective..
I know both of these gentlemen, and getting them to agree on anything is not easy. Anyone, at this late date, who thinks its funny to denigrate Al Gore in this fashion is, IMHO, an idiot.
Old, yes. But, at least five moderators + me think it's funny enough to CTRL_F gore, just so we could read it.
sig: sauer
IIRC a submarine patent is a bit more involved than that.
1. File Patent Application.
2. Wait a while.
3. Submit something that delays the Application process.
4. Repeat 2-3 until you decide its time to let your Patent be Granted.
5. Profit.
What the PTO did to combat this is starting in 1995(?) they changed it where the life of the patent is 20 years past the application date, instead of 17 years past the grant date.
"One can not truly appreciate Shakespeare until you have heard it in it's original Klingon" -Star Trek
This guy claims he "allowed users to interact with images inside of a web browser window" ?? So a web browser was invented before the web itself? Can we ask him if the chicken or egg came first?
He is a biologist. He would be the one to ask.
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic_(web_browser)
Official release 1993, pre-release versions were available in 1992.
My university was one of the first to have a "high speed" link then. IIRC, we had a dedicated DS1 which allowed those of us in the engineering school to view some of the very first pictures available on the web using pre-release Mosaic beta loads. Several of the grad students at the time were working with folks doing the primary research on surrounding technologies.
I *think* it was 1992 (my second year) when we started using it pretty heavily. A favorite passtime was downloading "questionable" pics from the various alt.xxx.pictures newsgroups and opening mosaic windows on other people's Sun workstations, so that the lab admin would kick them out... That lab admin, wasn't too sharp.
Good times, good times!
Al Gore claimed to have invented the intarwebs
Jesus F. Christ, give this a rest. This wasn't funny the first time I heard this bullshit in about 1999, and it sure hasn't improved with age.
But the nerd rage that follows is always hilarious !
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
chuck norris communicates digitally by punching you in the face with his left fist for zero and right fist for one.
Yes...and Eolas was founded in 1994. Not to mention, Arpanet was invented in 1968 and patented in 1970, which was followed in 1986, when one LAN branched out to form a new competing network, called NSFnet (National Science Foundation Network). NSFnet first linked together the five national supercomputer centers, then every major university, and it started to replace ARPAnet (which was finally shutdown in 1990). NSFnet formed the backbone of what we call the Internet today. All of this happened before 1993...so Mr Doyle is giant douche...period.
Keywords for the NSA overthrow oppressive regime true believers marathon Manhatten the financial district blueprints I
A web browser can be used on an intranet/LAN without any world-wide internet existing. The Internet predates the "web" by decades. Al Gore did invent the Internet. He invented the idea of opening up the government owned and held backbone to private companies for the express purpose of reselling access to this network of networks. HTML was a creation based on earlier markup languages that wasn't novel or unique, but some Europeans tweaked previous existing markup languages until they felt it sufficiently unique to call it something else, so we let them claim they invented the web.
But yes, this guy claims that he invented interactions within a web browser window before the "web" or any browsers for the "web" existed. Insane, but no more so than 95% of patents.
Learn to love Alaska
What's next? Will Bill Gates be said to have invented the microchip?
Wasn't that Kim Jong-il?
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
That's an old, tired, indulgent falsehood posing as a joke.
It irritates me not just because it's unfunny, but more because it takes a certain kind of mindset to think it's funny. You have to like beating down on others for their being dumb (whether that's actually what's going on), while simultaneously making yourself feel superior.
Basically, you have to be a bully at heart.
I find it irritating seeing bullies smugly picking on people. At least this "joke" serves a good purpose: to spotlight who's a bully.
You've been reading too much Onion
http://www.theonion.com/articles/microsoft-patents-ones-zeroes,599
It's not true, but it's still funny. There never was a redneck who shot his buddy when the 911 operator said "let's make sure he's dead" either, but it's still funny.
Is 1563649 a prime number?
The butthurt -- it burns, my precious, oh yes IT BURNS!
Tubal-Cain smokes the white owl.
If you look at the patent, he's not claiming to have "invented the internet". The patent is basically for use of the embed tag (which is described quite elaborately in the patent).
The patent is technically for a "Distributed Hypermedia Method For Automatically Invoking External Application Providing Interaction And Display Of Embedded Objects Within A Hypermedia Document".
Free unix account: freeshell.org
Impossible to work. On the first bit you will kill the modem, the carrier and the PC on the other side of the line
Religion: The greatest weapon of mass destruction of all time
Unfortunately the same guy who claims he invented the internet also claims to have a patent on scrapping the patent system, so we'll never find out how bad it would have to get.
This is silly. We all know that Al Gore invented the Internet!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore_and_information_technology
This joke reminds me I need to go out in the field and beat a dead horse.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
+1 Funny
Unfortunately "first to file" means your honest, hard-won invention that benefits all mammalkind will be stolen by an eeval corpra$hun.
Only if an employee of said evil corporation invented a product or process equivalent to "your honest, hard-won invention" but filed a patent before you published it. You see, first to file doesn't scrap the requirement of novelty; it affects only patent vs. patent disputes. Defensive publication of how to build your invention remains a viable way to get your prior art on the record and preclude any patents. So "git" your source code out there.
I really get tired of hearing that the Supremes gave Bush Florida:
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/01/the-florida-recount-of-2000/ disagrees with your statement that Gore won. The only scenario that would have possibly given Gore the victory was counting "overvotes" (multiple candidates marked on a single ballot) statewide. Gore did NOT request this scenario in court, and besides counting multiple candidates on a single ballot would be ridiculous. So the legal decision by the US Supreme Court was consistent with the vote.
Don't even start with calling factcheck.org a right wing mouthpiece.
NON-geek Linux user since 1998
Gore always gets an unfair kicking over his clumsy Internet claims. However I actually remember the first time I ever heard of Gore in 1992 (I'm in the UK - he was unknown here then) when he was explicitly characterised (in a mocking way) as someone constantly evangelicising about how the coming Net was going to revolutionise everything. To put this in context I was playing chess "online" via Telnet and an ASCII board on a VT-100 or FTP-ing The Anarchists Cookbook. I know he's a wooden hypocritical blowhard with a carbon footprint the size of Bigfoot but he was genuinely extremely prescient about the Internet.
Vint Cerf is obstructing the truth a little, I think, because the real story would give him less praise. The real issue is that most people at the time who had multi-site network access didn't want that access to be available to the public. For example, I visited someone at Tektronix who was intensely against making it public; he said that everyone with access with whom he had talked agreed with him.
Al Gore insisted that multi-site network access be publicly available, and made that happen using his power as a public servant to get money and government approval. He did that back when CEOs didn't know how to type. That service became the internet as we know it today. By that measure Al Gore did "create" the the public utility we call the internet.
My understanding, which may be wrong, is that Vint Cerf did nothing to make the internet a public utility. He didn't express an opinion. He didn't help promote the internet as a public utility until Al Gore made that possible and somewhat popular.
Before Al Gore's involvement, multi-site network access was available to those with U.S. government contracts, which restricted it to universities and corporations like Tektronix. Remember that in the U.S. the initial drive to network sites together was by DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is part of the U.S. government's ongoing drive to find more efficient ways of killing people and destroying property. There was, initially, no intent to do anything for anyone but the U.S. military. As the Wikipedia article says, "The Mansfield Amendment of 1973 expressly limited appropriations for defense research (through ARPA/DARPA) to projects with direct military application."
It's difficult now for technically knowledeable people to understand how technically backward most people were back then. Al Gore both knew about network technology and recognized its importance.
It seems reasonable to observe that the reason Vint Cerf's defense of Al Gore over the years has been expressed in tangled language is because he didn't want all the credit for the public utility to go to Al Gore.