While there is no doubt patents are important for protecting valid inventions the majority of software related patents are a joke. Some try to claim mathematical facts as prior art. I see patents as nothing more than trading cards for the big corporations.
They seem less relevant in today's world where the big innovators like google, Facebook, yahoo and amazon open source their software because it's of no real commercial value add to the bottom line. On 09/11/2012, at 9:53 PM, "McKown, John" <john.mck...@healthmarkets.com> wrote: > http://arstechnica.com/security/2012/11/patent-suits-target-google-intel-hundreds-more-for-encrypting-web-traffic/ > > <quote> > The patent infringement complaints, which have also named Google, Apple, > eBay, and Expedia, claim that Marshall, Texas-based TQP Development is > entitled to royalties for the companies' use of the secure sockets layer and > transport layer security protocols. Together, SSL and TLS form the basis for > virtually all encryption used to authenticate websites and to encrypt data > traveling between them and end users. The lawsuits assert US Patent No. > 5,412,730, which is titled "Encrypted data transmission system employing > means for randomly altering the encryption keys." > </quote> > > -- > John McKown > Systems Engineer IV > IT > > Administrative Services Group > > HealthMarkets(r) > > 9151 Boulevard 26 * N. Richland Hills * TX 76010 > (817) 255-3225 phone * > john.mck...@healthmarkets.com * www.HealthMarkets.com > > Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message may contain confidential or > proprietary information. If you are not the intended recipient, please > contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original > message. HealthMarkets(r) is the brand name for products underwritten and > issued by the insurance subsidiaries of HealthMarkets, Inc. -The Chesapeake > Life Insurance Company(r), Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of > TennesseeSM and The MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.SM > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
