Slashdot Mirror
USPTO Approves Amazon Patent For Taking Pictures
An anonymous reader writes "The U.S. Patent Office granted Amazon a patent in March that basically describes taking a picture with a white background. Amazon claims that their method is unique to current photography methods because they can achieve the effect of a true white background without retouching the photo or using any sort of post-processing technique. Some professional photographers disagree, claiming that plenty of prior art exists embodying Amazon's described method and furthermore that this pre-existing method is what the photography industry calls 'shooting against a seamless white backdrop.'"
The way I breathe air and take it into my body is unique. You all have to stop breathing, okay? Or pony up.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
I'm sure you could mail your payment to Amazon or possibly use a credit card but don't use a 1-click system or other charges may apply.
The formula for trolling slashdot is simple.
1) Find a recent patent given to a big company
2) Dumb down the claims to the point of being trivial and nearly unrelated to the actual legal bounds of the patent
3) Sit back and enjoy the endless stream of people claiming prior art exists while:
c) not actually pointing out anything specific
b) the prior art is comically NOT prior art
Please, let's not feed the trolls by following this formula.
Where's my "depressing but informative" mod option when I need it?
And... Will there be a patent on one-click photos?