Sometimes companies submit a patent application just to cover their rear-ends. They may not even expect to get the patent, but don't want to be dragged into court later because someone else got a patent - ie. Microsoft losing the xml case for MS Word 2007.
On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 3:32 PM, Frisby, Adam <a...@deepthink.com.au> wrote: > Guys, I’ve said this before. > > > > DO NOT POST PATENTS ON THIS MAILING LIST. > > AVOID LOOKING AT THEM IF POSSIBLE. > > > > Everyone who looks at them is now liable for wilful infringement if they > submit code around that area after looking at it. > > > > Regards, > > > > Adam > > > > > > From: opensim-dev-boun...@lists.berlios.de > [mailto:opensim-dev-boun...@lists.berlios.de] On Behalf Of Mark Malewski > Sent: Wednesday, 3 February 2010 1:09 PM > To: opensim-dev@lists.berlios.de > Subject: Re: [Opensim-dev] personal plea on patents > > > > What exactly is going on? > > > > Did someone apply for a patent? Are ANY patents pending? If so, please let > us know what patents are currently pending, so we can at least look them > over and contest them. > > > > I've had virtual worlds running since 1991, with 3D shopping malls, online > e-commerce, etc. > > > > I'd really like to see if anyone is currently attempting to put a patent > through, so we can at least work on contesting/disputing the validity of any > pending patents. Software patents are a bad idea, and it really hurts the > creativity/innovation and development of 3D platforms. > > > > If anyone is aware of ANY pending patents, please let me know and please > post the pending patent numbers to this forum. I'd be interested in working > with legal counsel to dispute the validity of any pending patents, or at > least begin work on shooting the patents down before they are approved. > > > > It's much easier to shoot them down (before they get approved), so please > post any information that you may have about any pending patents. > > > > Are you referring to the patent that was filed by IBM? > > > > http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20090300582.pdf > > > > Is this the patent we are talking about? > > > > There are only THREE types of patents (Design, Utility, and Plant). I'm > assuming that we're talking about "Design" patents, and in order for a > patent to be "valid" it must be a NEW, or ORIGINAL idea. > > > > Design patents may be granted to anyone who invents a new, ORIGINAL, and > ornamental design for an article of manufacture; and > > > > There is nothing new, and nothing original. If IBM is looking to use the > OpenSim Infrastructure as a basis for their patent, or even attempting to > claim that the things we discuss (or implement/plan/roll out/develop) are > part of IBM's "design" then it's certainly not new, or original. > > > > I doubt that the patent application is valid, and I'll need to skim over > their patent application, and see if we need to work on appealing the patent > application. > > > > Companies attempt to file patents (on other people's ideas) simply as a way > to make money (by litigation) in hopes to stifle innovation, development, > creativity and an attempt to kill off any competition. > > > > As far as IBM's patent idea, it doesn't hold any water. It's not new, and > it's not original. I'd developed platforms identical to that as early as > 1991. I'd been doing synchronization of offline 3D virtual content for 3D > shoppings malls since 1991 and developed a platform for the U.S. Army's > Battlefield Visualization program using synchronization of offline content > (for 3D Battlefield Visualization) as early as 1994. > > > > Even civilian projects like Active Worlds had been doing that (as part of > their browser cache) as early as 1995/1996 (about 5+ years after work that I > had done). > > > > So I hardly believe that IBM's silly patent application really holds much > water. I'm willing to file an opposition to IBM's patent, if there are any > other pending patent applications out there, then please let me know. I'd > be more than happy to help "nip" this in the butt before some silly greedy > business manager (or company) attempts to try and file a patent and kill off > the creativity, innovation, and development of 3D platforms. > > > > James, I completely agree with your post, and we really do need to work on > contesting this patent (if we're referring to the pending IBM patent). > Prior art and prior work is there. There is nothing new or unique in IBM's > pending patent application (if that is what this whole discussion is about). > If there are ANY pending patents out there, please post the patent > application numbers here in this forum, and we'll begin to address the > issues (legally). > > > > I'd rather bring this silly patent nonsense to an end now, before this gets > out of hand. Looks like IBM is attempting to do a "smash and grab" by > filling out a silly patent application to try and hinder widespread use, or > development of advanced 3D platform. > > > > It seems that managers ride on the coat tails of others and then attempt to > go for the "get rich quick by grabbing the IP quicker" routine. This is > nothing but hogwash, and it's really sad to see companies (and individuals) > that stoop to this kind of level. > > > > Mark > > > > On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 2:05 PM, James Stallings II > <james.stalli...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Some history may be in order here; I wont drag you through each and every > phase of virtual world development, but I can tell you that googling > 'virtual worlds' turns up prior art for almost everything we do (or will do) > with opensim, dating back to the late 1970s. > > > > It may not be widely known by either the patent office (do they even > research such things anymore?), or the 'get rich quick by grabbing the IP > quicker' set, but the prior art is there. > > > > Cheers > > James > > > > > > On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 1:42 PM, Robert A. Knop Jr. <rk...@pobox.com> wrote: > > On Wed, Feb 03, 2010 at 12:23:40PM -0700, Frank Nichols wrote: > > Ultimately, we need to kill software patents for once and for all. > Alas, chances of that happening soon are slim, so everybody has to be > aware of the existence of them. > > -- > --Rob Knop > E-mail: rk...@pobox.com > Home Page: http://www.pobox.com/~rknop/ > Blog: http://www.sonic.net/~rknop/blog/ > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) > > iD8DBQFLadGifEn1oMJSrdsRArwqAKDCxWZbFaFIwIekZ5wd0yLzWSHxJACgjUQv > E3H1tkYpIy8TuQbQ5Wy3+PQ= > =v7aw > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > _______________________________________________ > Opensim-dev mailing list > Opensim-dev@lists.berlios.de > https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev > > > -- > =================================== > http://osgrid.org > http://del.icio.us/SPQR > http://twitter.com/jstallings2 > http://www.linkedin.com/pub/5/770/a49 > > _______________________________________________ > Opensim-dev mailing list > Opensim-dev@lists.berlios.de > https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev > > > > _______________________________________________ > Opensim-dev mailing list > Opensim-dev@lists.berlios.de > https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev > > -- “The greatest danger in modern technology isn't that machines will begin to think like people, but that people will begin to think like machines” Unknown _______________________________________________ Opensim-dev mailing list Opensim-dev@lists.berlios.de https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/opensim-dev