Local.com was awarded a patent on Geocoding & Geographic search (filed 2005)
This seems like an amazing patent to be awarded, especially since the idea of geographic indexing and search is not new. How was this awarded, and is this for real? If so, a huge number of geographic companies, software, and formats are infringing. In fact, I would assume anyone reading this email is directly affected by this wrongly-awarded patent. Abstract: A local search engine geographically indexes information for searching by identifying a geocoded web page of a web site and identifying at least one geocodable web page of the web site. The system identifies a geocode contained within content of the geocoded web page of the web site. The geocode indicates a physical location of an entity associated with the web site. The system indexes content of the geocoded web page and content of the geocodable web page. The indexing including associating the geocode contained within content of the geocoded web page to the indexed content of the geocoded web page and the geocodable web page to allow geographical searching of the content of the web pages. TechCrunch coverage of Local.com's patents http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/02/patent-wars-localcom-nabs-local-search-patent/ Patent Filing: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/7231405.html Analysis - but only from the point of view about how much Local.com will cash in on the patents: http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070629/39741_id.html?.v=1 -- Andrew Turner [EMAIL PROTECTED] 42.2774N x 83.7611W http://highearthorbit.com Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA _______________________________________________ Geowanking mailing list [email protected] http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking
