3 ms·

My guess is that this is the patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=ff4OAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=&f=false http://www.google.com/patents?id=ff4OAAAA

by pelle 17y ago

My guess is that this is the patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=ff4OAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=&f=false http://www.google.com/patents?id=ff4OAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&#38... It looks like the patent covers a process for inviting to connect with users or "friending". I can't believe that anyone hadn't done that before 2001. But I can't quite recall any in particular.

dctoedt 17y ago
It'll be interesting to see what claim language emerges from reexamination. You can think of each individual claim in a patent as being a separate "infringement checklist." For a given claim to be infringed, all the elements of the claim must be present in the accused product or method, either literally or in the form of an "equivalent." A claim is like an AND statement: If any element in a given claim is missing from the accused product or method (and a substantial "equivalent" of the missing element isn't there either), then that claim isn't infringed. Note, however, that the several claims of a patent are OR'd together -- you might not infringe claim 1, but you still might infringe claim 15. All the patent owner needs to prove is infringement of a single claim. (This assumes that the accused infringer doesn't prove that the infringed claims are invalid. In over-simplified terms, if the AND statement of a claim returns TRUE when applied to the prior art, then THAT claim is invalid. [Proving obviousness is a more-complicated analysis.])
- costan 17y ago
  I like the nice succinct description of claims. Thanks!
warfangle 17y ago
Although not a website specifically, ICQ had this functionality in 1996 (though you could still directly send messages to a given ICQ number) - it's now owned by AOL. AIM also had 'friending' functionality in '97. LiveJournal also originated the term 'friending,' and was launched in '99. EverQuest had 'friending' functionality - if you friended someone, you would be notified when they signed on/off, and could easily message them. So has pretty much every MMO since. I'm not certain, but I'm willing to bet that there were BBS's and MUDs that had this functionality.
- btilly 17y ago
  I also remember this feature on the chess interfaces ICC and FICS back in the mid-90s. This is an excellent example of an obvious patent with prior art on a business method that should never, ever have been granted by the patent office. Hopefully the Bilski case will render the whole issue moot.
deleted 17y ago
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by pelle 17y ago

dctoedt 17y ago

It'll be interesting to see what claim language emerges from reexamination. You can think of each individual claim in a patent as being a separate "infringement checklist." For a given claim to be infringed, all the elements of the claim must be present in the accused product or method, either literally or in the form of an "equivalent." A claim is like an AND statement: If any element in a given claim is missing from the accused product or method (and a substantial "equivalent" of the missing element isn't there either), then that claim isn't infringed. Note, however, that the several claims of a patent are OR'd together -- you might not infringe claim 1, but you still might infringe claim 15. All the patent owner needs to prove is infringement of a single claim. (This assumes that the accused infringer doesn't prove that the infringed claims are invalid. In over-simplified terms, if the AND statement of a claim returns TRUE when applied to the prior art, then THAT claim is invalid. [Proving obviousness is a more-complicated analysis.])

costan 17y ago
I like the nice succinct description of claims. Thanks!

warfangle 17y ago

Although not a website specifically, ICQ had this functionality in 1996 (though you could still directly send messages to a given ICQ number) - it's now owned by AOL. AIM also had 'friending' functionality in '97. LiveJournal also originated the term 'friending,' and was launched in '99. EverQuest had 'friending' functionality - if you friended someone, you would be notified when they signed on/off, and could easily message them. So has pretty much every MMO since. I'm not certain, but I'm willing to bet that there were BBS's and MUDs that had this functionality.

btilly 17y ago
I also remember this feature on the chess interfaces ICC and FICS back in the mid-90s. This is an excellent example of an obvious patent with prior art on a business method that should never, ever have been granted by the patent office. Hopefully the Bilski case will render the whole issue moot.

deleted 17y ago

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