Re: [mv] Amazon (Patent) US5960411: Method and system forplacinga purchase order via a communications

[Ed LaFrance <edlafrance@printexusa.com>]

>******    message to minivend-users from Hans-Joachim Leidinger
><hans-joachim.leidinger@home.gelsen-net.de>     ******
>
>Ed LaFrance wrote:
>> >what is happen with this US-Patent??
>> >Why are able to use the one-click-search, one-click-order etc.!
>> >Please see this URL
>> >
>> >http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05960411__
>> >and
>> >http://linuxtoday.com/stories/13652.html
>> >
>> >Any comments?
>[DEL]
>>
>> Yes I have two comments:
>>
>> 1).  The "experts" who work at the US patent office DO NOT UNDERSTAND the
>> technology they are issuing patents for; consequently, they are inclined to
>> be swayed the the authors argument that their widget, system, framework,
>> whatever, is somehow SIGNIFICANTLY different or unique vs. existing patents
>> and/or conventions which have fallen into defacto public domain via
>> pervasive use **like oneline shopping carts**.
>>
>> 2). Lawyers screw everything up.  Of course, it is the legal mucky-mucks at
>> Amazon.com, IBM, etc, who are strokin the egos of their benefactors,
>> convincing them that their widget, system, framework, etc, which looks and
>> acts much like everyone elses, is somehow UNIQUE just because it is THIERS.
>>
>> There was a time when the patent office made sense (the days of Edison,
>> Ford,etc).  I'm afraid that now (with the occasional, rare exception), it
>> has just become the venue for yet another three-ring circus of litigation
>> and grand-standing.
>>
>> - Ed L.
>
>Hi Ed,
>
>thank you for your comments! Do you know more information about this
>patent and comments or reactions from other people/magazin?
>
>Hmmm...it seems me, Mike Heins was the first person with his
>one-click-yxz-Methode (or he has get this methodes since 1997 or with
>minivend version 3.06) earlier than amazom.com. Am i right?
>
>Regards,
>
>Joachim
>--


No, I don't have anything else to share on this issue, but in the past I
have done some unrelated Patent research using the databases at
http://www.uspto.gov. It is not uncommon to find multiple patents awarded
to different individuals and corporations, for what a reasonably prudent
person would consider to be essentially the same device/design/concept.
There are "design" patents and "utility" patents, which differ in what they
recognize and protect and therefore do allow some duality, but in my
opinion the level of duplication goes way beyond that.  Most of my research
has been industrial in nature.  I can only imagine how messed up the
software patent universe must be!

- Ed L.

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