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1.  

   benefit

   

   Bevans, May 24th, 2006 @ 2:53am

   
   

   "societal'? Do you perhaps mean "social"?

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2.  

   Re: benefit

   

   Anonymous Coward, May 24th, 2006 @ 3:56am

   
   

   societal as in 'society'...

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3.  

   But this is a GOOD thing!

   

   Daniel (profile), May 24th, 2006 @ 4:31am

   
   

   If someone else has patented their business model of "spam everyone until they sign up", then they can't keep using it, right? If they have to stop spamming me, I'm happy!
   
   Now, if someone would just patent online drug spam, mortgage spam and a couple of others, I'll no longer need a spam filter!
   
   Yay Patents!

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4.  

   Oh and don't forget the fact that Monopolies are I

   

   Daniel (profile), May 24th, 2006 @ 4:46am

   
   

   Also, if you grant a monopoly to one person, they don't have to compete against others to maintain their profitibility. In this case, that means whoever has this patent doesn't have to try very hard (read 'send LOTS of spam') to be competitive. Again, less spam for me! How's THAT for a 'societal benefit'?

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5.  

   

   scott, May 24th, 2006 @ 5:25am

   
   

   sure set a extremely stupid precedent for a extremely short run benefit.

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6.  

   START a precedent?!

   

   Daniel (profile), May 24th, 2006 @ 6:21am

   
   

   The precedent is already there. If I'm already going to be stuck with patent monopolies on stuff that I WANT to see competing on a free market, why shouldn't I enjoy it when a patent restricts something I DON'T want?

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7.  

   About Plaxo SPAM....

   

   Scott, May 24th, 2006 @ 6:34am

   
   

   It's annoying to get the plaxo spam messages, but then I finally decided to give it a try. And I have to admit, it's pretty damn useful. I think the US Patent Office should use the same model... When someone signs up for a Patent of a "business process", the Patent office sends an Email to EVERYBODY just letting them know that someone has applied for a patent on something, and then lets you sign up and makes suggestions on things that you could apply for a patent for.

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8.  

   USPTO Strikes Again

   

   Anonymous Coward, May 24th, 2006 @ 6:59am

   
   

   "Method And System For Automatically Updating Information Within A Contact Database"
   
   Wow, this patent was granted in 2004...
   
   I can't imagine there isn't prior art out there.

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9.  

   Re: benefit

   

   Pongidae, May 24th, 2006 @ 7:14am

   
   

   Off Topic:

   Actually he meant Societal, which is defined as "Of or relating to the structure, organization, or functioning of society."

   
   

   You really should look up the meaning of a word you don't recognize or understand before trying to correct someone else's grammar. Always remember, it is better to sit in silence and appear ignorant, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Sorry about the flame and for getting way off topic but this is a pet peeve of mine. People in general should think, get their facts straight and only then make comment.

   
   On Topic:
   

   This story would have been humorous if the company holding the patent was going to use it to stop the spammer industry. Sadly there is no such luck with this type of "bottom feeding" industry.

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10.  

    Plaxo

    

    ANTIPLAXO, May 24th, 2006 @ 7:29am

    
    

    All I can say is that I hate Plaxo. People like having little nice graphics at the bottom of their email, but uploading your entire contact list for the cost of that is in the realm of pure SPAM when you business all of a sudden starts getting email from them asking you to sign up for their service. Then to bundle it in with AOL Triton Instant Messenger is Insane. PLAXO YOU SUCK.

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11.  

    Plaxo

    

    Business Plaxo Hater, May 24th, 2006 @ 7:34am

    
    

    If you don't mind your whole contact lists being stored on some server that you don't own and don't know who has access to it and your company doesn't mind all their email addresses on it and everyone getting spam from them, then feel free to use it but just make sure that every single one of your contacts knows that your going to upload your contacts to them ahead of time and that they will get plaxo spam in the future.
    
    Companies offering things for Free raises big question marks in my mind. Nothing is free. Free to me means that I will get adware or Spam for compensation.

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12.  

    Re: Plaxo

    

    Anonymous of Course, May 24th, 2006 @ 10:28am

    
    

    There is plenty of free software available
    without the risk of spam, adware or other
    noxious content.
    
    It's sad that in the end the nice people get
    lumped in with the jerks and everyone is under
    suspicion.
    
    I don't know which I despise more, companies that
    spam or people that buy from companies that spam.
    
    There must be a lot of overweight, dysfunctional,
    midget penises in need of a low interest rate
    mortgage and cut-rate prescription drugs in this
    world

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13.  

    Re: USPTO Strikes Again

    

    Jeffrey Tinsley, May 24th, 2006 @ 8:23pm

    
    

    Even though the patent was awarded in 2004, it was originally filed all the way back on December 22, 2000.

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14.  

    Re: Re: USPTO Strikes Again

    

    Anonymous Coward, May 24th, 2006 @ 10:02pm

    
    

    Even in 2000, I find it hard to believe that there isn't a lot of prior art. Much of it is probably propriatery, but the basic idea has been used for a long time in a pretty wide variety of applications.

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15.  

    Re: Oh and don't forget the fact that Monopolies a

    

    Cindy Little, May 29th, 2006 @ 10:37am

    
    

    no comment

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16.  

    question

    

    Phil Dirt, Oct 6th, 2007 @ 5:56pm

    
    

    I don't get it....

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