RE: UKNM: US Patents Office and e-commerece

[Paul Durrant]

Jon Miller wrote:


>>  I can't believe this patent will be allowed to stand.


Unfortunately it seems to be standing, I understand the patent was

granted in March!


>>  but here's the bit which worries me:

>> "[the patented technology] would be particularly useful in such ecommerce

>> applications as sending a phone bill over the Web so that users only need

>> to click the link to see the online version."


I agree, this is the worrying aspect of these patents, they seem to be

covering such fundamental concepts of Web interaction, that they

shouldn't be patentable - and aren't elsewhere.  But now there are more

global alliances, can your US arm get sued  for sites the UK part has

created?


There appears to be US trend to take a concept that anyone can write and

get in first with patenting it.  It seems to me to be going against the

fundamentals of the Web as an open non-proprietary global medium.


Paul Durrant

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