Microsoft Patents Music Appreciation
from the double-groovy dept
theodp writes "Ever find yourself agreeing with a rock critic's assessment that a certain Nirvana song is 'angry'? If so, beware! From here on in, you could be infringing on Microsoft's just-issued patent for Training a trainee to classify fundamental properties of media entities, which Microsoft explains covers teaching one to recognize that the Beastie Boys' Hey Ladies is an example of a 'fun song.'" And as you read the patent, it just gets better and better. The "process" involves a "double grooving" phase that allows the listener to become a "groover." Well, isn't that just double groovy? Does anyone actually read these patents?
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Unbelievable!
Just when you think you've seen every dumb patent there could be, something new pops up. I'm forced to wonder whether I should have my daughter (age 5) apply for a job at the patent office. An education and the ability to read do not appear to be necessary qualifications.
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The system's broken
It's really sad, isn't it? Not only do we have the patent office issuing patents for such things, but the government is too corrupt to do anything at all about it. Every time any reform legislation comes along, those self-serving politicians twist it around until it just contributes to the problem even more.
Corruption can only persist so long before the government loses the image of legitimacy in the eyes of the people. The U.S. needs to shape up now because these patent issues that keep popping up stem from the much bigger problem, and that is one that threatens to plunge the entire country into chaos.
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This *can't* be real....
Is the USPTO 'parodying' itself now? What has the world come to? I can't believe that anyone could be so stupid as to grant a patent like this...
*hooray for the EU rejecting the CII directive!*
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Company or employee idea?
When I see such a lame patent being awarded to a large company I wonder if it's really the company pushing for it or is it an employee's idea that becomes the property of the company due to an employment contract. For example, the rather large company I work for has it so that they own ANY IP that employees create. Even if it completely developed on my own hours. (subject to laws) Either way, the awarding of the patent is stupid.
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Blurring the lines
Ironically, Micro$oft seems to be supporting organizations which fight this type of nonsense:
http://www.pff.org/about/supporters.html
Nothing like spreading some extra filthy lucre to blur the lines, or at least to facilitate future attempts to seem like a less-evil empire...
-- Chad
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