On 10/13/07, Lan Barnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Sat, October 13, 2007 11:10 am, Bob La Quey wrote: > > Companies called IP Innovation and Technology Licensing Corporation > > sued Red Hat and Novell on Tuesday, claiming the top Linux sellers' > > software products infringe U.S. patent 5,072,412, "User interface with > > multiple workspaces for sharing display system objects," and two > > identically named patents. > > > > http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9796868-39.html?tag=nefd.blgs > > > > BobLQ > > > > > > Between prior art and the bloody obvious, I can't see even the present > corporatist courts upholding this.
As my inventor friend Bob Hotto likes to say "Obvious is a function of time." The first patent was filed in the late 80's and granted in 1991. Thye will likely argue that the claims were "Not obvious" then. The issue of prior art, properly obsfucated by "good"lawyers before a jury can be argued damn near anyway. The software patent system is such a mess ... it could take decades to sort the mess out but this looks like an important early battle. BobLQ > How do patents like that get approved? Nemind, I know :-( > > -- > Lan Barnes > > SCM Analyst Linux Guy > Tcl/Tk Enthusiast Biodiesel Brewer > > > -- > [email protected] > http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list > -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
