4 ms·

Wow. This is huge and this can set a precedent to get the patent killed in the US as well. One of the worst patents ever granted.

bigiain 15y ago
"One of the worst patents ever granted." I think _that's_ a big call... Good to see my home country's courts showing a little bit of unexpected sanity though.
hartror 15y ago
It is a shining example of what is wrong with the US patent system for sure (he says haughtily as an Australian) but worst patent ever granted? Doubtful.
- Natsu 15y ago
  There's stiff competition for the "worst patent ever", but surely one of the lowest must be when using a stick as a dog toy was patented in the USA. Don't believe me? Look here: Animal Toy http://www.google.com/patents?id=hhYJAAAAEBAJ http://www.google.com/patents?id=hhYJAAAAEBAJ After being issued (and extensively mocked), it was finally reexamined by the director of the USPTO himself. Over the course of several years, they finally managed to invalidate all of its claims. Why? There were two other patents that covered that material already (one of which, mercifully, was only a design patent). If you want some other crazy patents, I suggest looking at these: Painting Using a Baby's Butt http://www.google.com/patents?id=ErQFAAAAEBAJ http://www.google.com/patents?id=ErQFAAAAEBAJ Forehead Support for Urinals http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6681419 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6681419 Anti-Gravity Spaceships http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6960975 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6960975 User-operated amusement apparatus for kicking the user's buttocks http://www.google.com/patents?id=XYYHAAAAEBAJ http://www.google.com/patents?id=XYYHAAAAEBAJ These other patents may be crazy and useless, but at least they were all novel.
  - estel 15y ago
    I'm a fan of the British Rail Space Vehicle: http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=1310990&KC=&FT=E&locale=en_EP http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=...
chc 15y ago
Really? That seems unlikely. Foreign legal decisions can set precedent for US court rulings? Are there any instances of that actually happening?
- iwwr 15y ago
  Interestingly, if Telstra has any US assets, servers or domains, they can be seized.
kmfrk 15y ago
That's a little overdramatic. As an international customer, I hate the 1-click shopping, because surprises you with obscene shipping charges now and then.
brlewis 15y ago
It's unreasonable to task the patent office with determining novelty and non-obviousness in software. Imagine examining mechanical engineering patents if millions of people carried machine shops around in their backpacks.

bigiain 15y ago

"One of the worst patents ever granted." I think _that's_ a big call... Good to see my home country's courts showing a little bit of unexpected sanity though.

hartror 15y ago

It is a shining example of what is wrong with the US patent system for sure (he says haughtily as an Australian) but worst patent ever granted? Doubtful.

Natsu 15y ago
There's stiff competition for the "worst patent ever", but surely one of the lowest must be when using a stick as a dog toy was patented in the USA. Don't believe me? Look here: Animal Toy http://www.google.com/patents?id=hhYJAAAAEBAJ http://www.google.com/patents?id=hhYJAAAAEBAJ After being issued (and extensively mocked), it was finally reexamined by the director of the USPTO himself. Over the course of several years, they finally managed to invalidate all of its claims. Why? There were two other patents that covered that material already (one of which, mercifully, was only a design patent). If you want some other crazy patents, I suggest looking at these: Painting Using a Baby's Butt http://www.google.com/patents?id=ErQFAAAAEBAJ http://www.google.com/patents?id=ErQFAAAAEBAJ Forehead Support for Urinals http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6681419 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6681419 Anti-Gravity Spaceships http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6960975 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT6960975 User-operated amusement apparatus for kicking the user's buttocks http://www.google.com/patents?id=XYYHAAAAEBAJ http://www.google.com/patents?id=XYYHAAAAEBAJ These other patents may be crazy and useless, but at least they were all novel.
- estel 15y ago
  I'm a fan of the British Rail Space Vehicle: http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=1310990&KC=&FT=E&locale=en_EP http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=...

chc 15y ago

Really? That seems unlikely. Foreign legal decisions can set precedent for US court rulings? Are there any instances of that actually happening?

iwwr 15y ago
Interestingly, if Telstra has any US assets, servers or domains, they can be seized.

kmfrk 15y ago

That's a little overdramatic. As an international customer, I hate the 1-click shopping, because surprises you with obscene shipping charges now and then.

brlewis 15y ago

It's unreasonable to task the patent office with determining novelty and non-obviousness in software. Imagine examining mechanical engineering patents if millions of people carried machine shops around in their backpacks.