The end of the patent syste?

Gadgetman

One can only hope...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/24/ibm_patents_patents/



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Bean

This just proves how absurd the patent system has become.

Patents were supposed to be a way to stimulate inovation, but more and more patents are just a means for large companies to squelch small companies.

Do you reallize that if you use PWM to create colors with an RGB LED you are violating a patent ? I couldn't beleive it but it's true. It has even been tested and has been held up in court.

Bean.

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Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

You don't often hear of IBM being a predator in patent cases. This patent application may simply be an attempt to pull the rug from under other "patent trolls". I doubt it has a snowball's chance of surviving the deluge of prior art, though.

-Phil

Gadgetman

Why not?

Other patents have managed to get past the 'Prior art' problem...

I read about one, over on the forum at www.the-whiteboard.com (paintball-themed comic) about someone getting a patent for routing gas-tubes through the handle of the 'markers'... Something that has been done since the 80s...

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parsko

Phil,

I have to disagree. From what I have read, IBM is one of the original patent trolls. Another opinion I read was that this patent might exist to simply show how ridiculous the patent system has become. IBM has the money to do stupid stuff like this...

A few interesting opinions (from the same dude) on this topic.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071021/141623.shtml

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071005/032654.shtml

-Parsko