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Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Sep 8th 2005 10:59am





How Dare SAP Create Computerized Catalogs Without Paying The Patent Troll

from the obviousness-test dept

SAP is the latest firm hit with a patent suit from EPlus, the company that went after Ariba earlier this year. The patents in question seem to be about as obvious as they come. It's a system for searching through some computerized catalogs, checking availability and presenting the results. It's hard to see how this isn't a natural progression of technology and quite obvious to... just about everyone. Does anyone really think that SAP needed to "steal" this idea? We keep being told this is innovation, but it certainly seems a lot like a few lawyers getting rich at the expense of real research and development.

7 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    Ah

    identicon
    DGK12, Sep 8th, 2005 @ 11:49am

    Well that's quite inventive. Next farmers will come under fire for producing crops for which agrochemical companies own patents for, such as corn.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Obvious patents

    identicon
    Frank, Sep 8th, 2005 @ 11:57am

    Check the bottom of a Domino's Pizza box next time you order. It's a box. It's patented.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Re: Obvious patents

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 8th, 2005 @ 4:55pm

    On that note, the glued Taco Bell taco holding paper are patented I think twice. I'd love to see the complete details of that patent. How worthless.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Re: Obvious patents

    identicon
    Dude, Sep 8th, 2005 @ 8:25pm

    Not only that, after having worked at both Dominoes and a box manufacturer, I can honestly say that the dominoes box is identical to almost every other pizza box out there.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    No Subject Given

    identicon
    Mike, Sep 9th, 2005 @ 1:20am

    A rabbit and a beaver are looking up at the Boulder Dam. The beaver is saying: "I didn't actually build it, but it's based on my idea."

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    Re: Obvious patents

    identicon
    Mousky, Sep 9th, 2005 @ 5:30am

    I thought Domino's pizza boxes were octagonal in shape? If yes, then, they are different from the typical square/rectangular pizza box.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  

    Re: Obvious patents

    identicon
    Mousky, Sep 9th, 2005 @ 5:32am

    Check this link for pizza box patents:

    http://www.correllconcepts.com/patents.htm

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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