I'm as outraged as the next guy, but there's just so much prior art that a good patent lawyer could rip through this like wet tissuepaper. I expect Google or Yahoo or Microsoft or even MetaCarta would elbow drop the patent trolls in moments. So I'm not _worried_, per se. But I am outraged.
-B On 7/3/07, FANTOM PLANET <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I read through the patent just now. Wow!?! After understanding the history of cartographic copyright and the various litigation that are attached to it, it almost seems that this is totally nuts. Since you can't copyright or patent fact, can you patent geographic search like this? FP > 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. > > > 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 _______________________________________________ Geowanking mailing list [email protected] http://lists.burri.to/mailman/listinfo/geowanking
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