<< Saying Bad GPS Directions = 'Killing Children' Seems A Bit Extreme | The Ownership Metaphor Can Be Misleading In Privacy Debates >>
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Jan 8th 2008 11:53pm
Filed Under:
customer mistakes, obviousness, patents
Companies:
amazon
theodp writes "In a timely follow-up to the Did Amazon Cash In Big On Oprah Viewers' Confusion? item, the USPTO granted Amazon a patent Tuesday for Automatically Identifying Erroneous Orders, which means that trying to stop your customers from placing an incorrect order now constitutes patent infringement." Can someone please explain to me why this deserves a monopoly?
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Amazon patent
Well the short answer the question you pose is- it doesn't!
The patent office sysetm is f****. and until its sorted companies will pay the system to hell. Stupid.
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If only it worked
It doesn't even seem to do what claims all that well. I got two copies of a DVD from my father for Christmas by mistake (his, apparently). Since they were gifts, selected from my wishlist, and sent to me, that would seem like a perfect test for whether this even works.
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This is the kind of patent I love to see. I have this fantasy that if enough of these absolutely absurd patents make it through the system then the courts and/or Congress will wake up and outlaw all business and software patents. The doctor keeps increasing my medication, but I still keep having these fantasies.
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Because...
...Amazon is retarded. Just like that bs with "one glick", give me a fk'n break, and its not even "one" click you still have to click place order after you click that, so its technically TWO clicks ..need help? Thats 3... rediculous.
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Feedback- dont worry about it. how about Johnny Le
As long as a given, new, means of suchlike detection can be demonstrated, it can have a patent without the problems your article presumes. There are countless methodologies to attain this goal.
How about some TECH DIRT. Example:
Johnny Lee and his 40 dollar Wii virtual desktop
(with a Wii-mote he demos a HDTV apparently projecting an image (that is how it appears)three feet in FRONT OF THE TV and far behind it also.
Mr Lee explains how this tech can be used TODAY for 40 bucks as a virtual whiteboard, a virtual game display system.
Mr Lee presents two of many variations of this tech.
Final: This is the future of TV, Computer, Fitness, Gaming, and nobody is even whispering about it?
What am I missing?
An informant is no good without my own dirt:
Please see Johnny Lee VR Wii and CMU (carnegie mellon univ) on youtube for the video demos.
Now that is Tech! and I want the Dirt on it!
Thanks
Mike Mech
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Re: Feedback- dont worry about it. how about Johnn
Do you know you can submit stories to the Techdirt Blog? That would be better than complaining...off topic.
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Re: Re: Feedback- dont worry about it. how about J
Sorry...here is the correct submit link. Unless you really want to go to microsoft.com.
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Re: Re: Feedback- dont worry about it. how about J
Ow! point taken!
Can you do that for me with the provided info?
Thanks for the tactful correction
Mike Mech
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Patent App
I think I'll apply for a patent on apply broad patents. Then pretty much anyone who files a patent will owe me money. I think this is the new business model that'll make the most money.
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Re: Patent App
It should read "I think I'll apply for a patent on applying for broad patents." Sorry about that.
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Amazon Patents Catching Customers' Mistakes
We need to separate the WHAT from the HOW.
A patent contains specific details on HOW the invention works.
The title states WHAT the invention is.
I could file a patent for a "Personal Non-spill Gasoline Transportation Device", a.k.a. a gas can. I would have to describe in detail how it works. My patent prevents others from making a gas can that WORKS THE SAME WAY as mine does, because they would have to copy/use my idea and are making money off of it. My patent does NOT prevent others from making gas cans, just not like mine.
In this case, the patent covers HOW Amazon prevents customers mistakes, not WHAT it does. This would not prevent me from writing a program that did THE SAME THING, but in a DIFFERENT WAY.
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