[H-GEN] Amazon.com and the Patent issue. We won this one!

Jason Henry Parker jasonp at uq.net.au
Thu Mar 9 21:15:03 EST 2000


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Andrae Muys <a.muys at mailbox.uq.edu.au> writes:

> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/misc/patents.html/002-7717695-7829067
> 
> Amazon is not only backing down from it's previous patent position,
> they're lobbying the US congress to fix the patent system!

While continuing to keep up their ridiculous patent (I had no idea you
could patent a way of `framing' a problem!) and persisting with the
Barnes and Noble lawsuit.

How are they backing down?  I don't see Bezos offering to give up the
patents he has---quite the opposite!  All I see is some blowhard
*saying* he'll be lobbying congress and asking everyone else to give
up their patents in three to five years when he isn't willing to put
his money where his mouth is.

Exactly how is Amazon's having a patent on any algorithm a good thing
for open systems?  Do you really expect someone with patents (and
deriving money and market share from them) to fight very hard to have
the system reformed?  I don't.

This is no Win.  Bezos still believes in the patent system and is
pulling the old ``arm and a leg''[1] trick.

amazon.com Bezos and O'Reilly
Spearhead Call for Patent
Reform--In an unprecedented
turnaround, Amazon.com founder
and CEO Jeff Bezos has embraced
Tim O'Reilly's call for
software patent reform and
proposed a radical patent
reform policy. Read Tim's
response to Jeff's proposal
here.

That has to be the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.  It smacks
of a PR exercise.

jason, http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05446889__&s_clms=1

[1] : ``We need to cut off your arm and your leg.''
      ``Oh, no!  Isn't there anything more that can be done?''
      ``Well, I *suppose* I can just take your leg, but it will be
        more expensive...''
      ``Great!  Wonderful!  Thanks a bunch!''
-- 
____   
\ _/__ ``I need every braincell blazing
 \X  /   to fight my invisible enemies!''
   \/  

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