Kent Crispin wrote:
>
> On Fri, Dec 17, 1999 at 04:27:36PM -0600, Richard Shockey wrote:
> [...]
> >
> > Excellent idea... HTTP Push to a defined directory with email notification
> > of an appropriate URL. One problem.
> >
> >
> > http://www.patents.ibm.com/patlist?icnt=US&patent_number=5790790
>
> You would be hard pressed to come up with a more absurd patent...
Actually, there have been a few of these in recent years. I've done some
consulting for lawyers seeking to overthrow patents where someone has
obviously simply gone out and documented things done by others.
To revisit a theme I raised back in the summer, this need to be able to
prove prior art is the reason I believe we need to preserve Internet
Drafts, not just mailing lists and other work output from the IETF. I'm
all for protecting innovation, and believe patents have a role in this
industry, but I've seen a few bogus claims and am happy to do my bit to
see them struck down. They tend to fall fairly easily if you have access
to suitable examples of prior art.
It's obviously a separate question as to whether it's worth the hassle
for a working group to get involved with patented material, as deciding
to fight a patent is primarily a political decision, not a technical
one, so not in scope for the IETF. Protecting the net from bogus claims,
though (for example, by protecting and preserving prior art through
copyright, archiving etc) certainly seems to be appropriate behaviour.
- peterd
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"Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many
useful objects, such as wickerwork baskets. Imagination
without skill gives us modern art...
- Tom Stoppard
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