Topic: Patents

10 wild new patents: The future of tech?

Summary: USPTO has been granting lots of new patents, some with a surprisingly quick turnaround. Here are drawings of 10 noteworthy patents issued to top tech players last week.

By Gina Smith | May 31, 2012 -- 08:22 GMT (01:22 PDT)

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Last week, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued its 8,185,968th patent since 1790. Here's a rundown of some of the grooviest tech patents from the latest crop.

Topic: Patents

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11 comments

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Pathetic.

Patents were designed to protect little guys ideas from predatory big guys just stealing them, not for the big guys to patent every obvious idea in the world as a portfolio to wage litigation wars.

This article is no cause for celebration.

Bozzer
31 May, 2012 10:23

Reply Vote
- I agree
  
  though one or two may have some merit, the rest are just patenting an obvious concept without any idea how to make them possible.
  
  It doesn't help that in Sept 2011, the patent system change from [i]first to invent[/i] (meaning the patent goes to the first person to make the invention) to [i]first to file[/i], which gives the patent to the first person who files it, regardless of whether they actually made anything physical.
  
  This helps big companies with lots of money just patent any silly idea that comes to mind.
  
  William Farrel
  1 June, 2012 19:36
  
  Reply Vote
Bizarre

Patenting METHODS instead of technology. Just as crazy as George Balanchine dance, who will not permit you to dance their pre-licensed choreographies unless you pay a fee.

johnsmith9875
31 May, 2012 13:26

Reply Vote
- I think they actually are patenting ideas
  
  If ideas result in money then of course you want to protect your idea.
  Without this lots of businesses and technology wouldn't exist.
  This doesn't mean that the patent offices should grant patents on anything or everything. Some sort of more stringent criteria for granting patents should probably replace the existing ones.
  
  Mikael_z
  2 June, 2012 02:21
  
  Reply Vote
Traps

These patents are just traps waiting for unsuspecting developers to fall into. Patents should not be like this. The whole idea of a patent is to describe something unique and novel. Novel to a person working in that specific area not to a lawyer. We know that lawyers can be easily impressed. Just look at 9 lines of Java code that looked so impressive to Oracle lawyers. They definitely could patent "hello world" programs as extremely novel.

paul2011
31 May, 2012 18:25

Reply Vote
- Not intended that way
  
  I can tell you with 100% certainty that at least one of these patents was not intended to be that way.
  
  B4ME
  14 June, 2012 12:59
  
  Reply Vote
Proof enough?

If this isn't proof that the patent system is broken and irrelevant, I don't know what is.

eodx9000
31 May, 2012 19:38

Reply Vote
It's Just like checking the mail

Go to mailbox
see if there is any mail
check where letters came from
see who they are addressed to
If error in sending to you, take to neighbor
Remember that you did that in case someone asks.
bring mail into house.
give it to the people with their names on the address.

jammix@...
1 June, 2012 00:00

Reply Vote
Wow, some of these are really bizzare.

Goes to show one can patent almost any silly idea. We are in big trouble.

droidfromsd
1 June, 2012 07:11

Reply Vote
Just get rid of "reply to all"

"The patent discloses a method for sending emails that can't be forwarded to unintended third parties."

Just get rid of the "reply to all" button. If somebody wants to email a big group, they should be using a proper distribution list.

CobraA1
2 June, 2012 22:49

Reply Vote
- That's why it was needed
  
  People like reply to all. The patent allows reply to all to stay without risking the message being forwarded.
  
  B4ME
  14 June, 2012 13:00
  
  Reply Vote