BlackBerry maker countersues Visto

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Patents are getting out of hand...: Previously all the big companies considered patents as a way to:
a) protect their work
b) lock out competition
c) use as a deterent against others using patents against them.

However now they see the downside.
Other companies patenting ideas, SOLELY to sue other companies. 'Blackmail', 'Sue', 'Extort'... whatever you want to call it.
Then by the time the Made after Prior Art, Ridiculously Obvious, Overly Broad Patent is nullified by the Patent office, the victim company already has a huge judgement against them; from a totally non-technical jury or judge.
Meanwhile what does the suing company have to lose? some legal fees.
What does the Patent office employees have to lose? umm.... nothing.

A man patented a swing, in his kids name.
Let's take a look at some other patents:
(credit: this is an exerpt from http://www.cs.unimaas.nl/p.spronck/RidiculousPatents.htm)

* Patent 6,594,674 System and method for creating multiple files from a single source file. This patent covers packing a couple of files together into one package, from which you can extract individual files. This patent has been awarded July 15, 2003. Compression software (such as WinZip), around as long as I can remember, does exactly this.
* Patent 6,604,008 Scoring based upon goals achieved and subjective elements. This patent covers scoring in computer games that does not only award points for achieving goals but also for performing feats. The patent has been granted August 5, 2003. The scoring system it describes is very common in, for instance, computer roleplaying games (such as Neverwinter Nights and Morrowind). One game that uses exactly such a system is The Elder Scrolls: Arena, released in 1993.
* Patent 6,606,618 Method for optimizing the performance of a database. This patent covers using (automated) numerical key-files for database systems that contain text or objects. The patent has been granted August 12, 2003. Everyone who has worked with databases knows using numerical key files is a must if you want to efficiently access data. Everyone generates numerical key files if the data does not contain natural numerical keys. This is basic computer science that has been taught in the earliest courses on datastructures.
* Patent 6,606,101 Information pointers. This patent covers the use of "popup notes" when you move your mouse pointer over an object on the screen. It has been granted August 12, 2003. If a program doesn't show popup notes, I consider this bad interfacing.
* Patent 6,618,857 Method and system for installing software on a computer system. This patent covers installing software on a computer system whereby more than one file is copied to the system and files that already exist are only overwritten in special circumstances. The patent has been granted September 9, 2003. Virtually all programs nowadays are installed in this manner (often generating the installation package using Installshield) and this method has been used for more than a decade.; Posted by: el1jones Posted on: 05/05/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use