Specific? Not really. They patented e-learning. The whole damn thing. "a system and methods for implementing education online" by providing courses that "include assignments, announcements, course materials, chat and whiteboard facilities, and the like." In particular, the patent includes what amounts to group permissions for access to course materials. (from NewsForge: http://trends.newsforge.com/trends/07/01/31/1634204.shtml?tid=147)
So.... sharing documents electronically (FTP anyone) for the purposes of education. Online classes. Your prof posting assignments and announcements on his website. Yeah. Not that specific. --Ben Nick McClure wrote: > Still the reach of patents has to be very specific. I can't remember > what exactly blackboard got the patent for, but it would be very > difficult for them to go after somebody that didn't exactly copy the > functionality to the letter. > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Denshtizzler [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:21 PM >> To: CF-Community >> Subject: Re: Blackboard pledges not to use its patents against > open-source >> alternatives >> >> Admirable! It bugs me when people are like, trying to patent the > wheel. >> "No no, I thought that whole ask a question/get an answer thing up!" >> >> On 2/1/07, Jerry Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> Cool. >>> >>> Education software firm OKs open-source patent use >>> ... >>> >> >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Upgrade to Adobe ColdFusion MX7 Experience Flex 2 & MX7 integration & create powerful cross-platform RIAs http:http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;56760587;14748456;a?http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=LVNU Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:226577 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
