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Software developer? There's a licence for that...

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    Software developer? There's a licence for that...

    Looks like the patent trolls, supported by Google, are going down the road of patenting software features and interface design so they can charge people licence fees:


    BBC News - Patent war hits small app developers

    For each patent that they offer to license, the Texan company "is seeking 0.575% of US revenue (all income is in principle generated in the US because Android and iOS app stores are both registered there) over for the period of the notice letter to the expiration of the patent (they have a duration of 20 years), plus applicable past usage", as set out in Lodsys blog.

    BBC News - Motorola sued over patents used in Android phones

    Motorola is being sued in a patent row by a company partly bankrolled by Google - which wants to buy Motorola.
    Muppets.


    Before anyone presses their FOAD button, I've patented it.
    Feist - 1234. One camera, one take, no editing. Superb. How they did it
    Feist - I Feel It All
    Feist - The Bad In Each Other (Later With Jools Holland)

    #2
    Originally posted by PAH View Post
    Looks like the patent trolls, supported by Google, are going down the road of patenting software features and interface design so they can charge people licence fees:


    BBC News - Patent war hits small app developers




    BBC News - Motorola sued over patents used in Android phones

    Muppets.


    Before anyone presses their FOAD button, I've patented it.
    I think you'll find that you've infringed a couple of trademarks there...

    Plus I've patented the use of multiple pictograms to relate a story/convey a complex set of emotions.

    See you in court!

    Comment


      #3
      I'm surprised nobody has patented patent trolling
      While you're waiting, read the free novel we sent you. It's a Spanish story about a guy named 'Manual.'

      Comment


        #4
        Well to be fair, a lot of companies charge a license fee for their devkits etc.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Churchill View Post
          Well to be fair, a lot of companies charge a license fee for their devkits etc.

          Does that mean that anything produced with those kits (and Visual Studio etc) come with a free Patent Troll Guard?

          They way I see it is you can patent the concept of Meccano but not anything built with it. So software development is no different, it's just a way of re-arranging a set of previously defined functions and features.

          If it's possible to patent software interfaces (as with Amazon's One Click), maybe someone needs to provide a website where developers can detail their ideas to prove prior art against scum trying to profit from patenting them and licencing to others.
          Feist - 1234. One camera, one take, no editing. Superb. How they did it
          Feist - I Feel It All
          Feist - The Bad In Each Other (Later With Jools Holland)

          Comment


            #6
            Apple legal issued a response to Lodsys, the firm trying to shake down iOS developers by forcing them to pay to license patents for in-app purchases. Apple's 900 word missive can basically be summarized in two words: Get lost.
            Apple to iOS Patent Troll: Get Lost
            Fiscal nomad it's legal.

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