4 ms·
How can you patent an action? Could some one please clarify what it is that was patented? The sequence of pressing a set of particular buttons? Really?
by kghose 14y ago
How can you patent an action? Could some one please clarify what it is that was patented? The sequence of pressing a set of particular buttons? Really?
- dogweather 14y agoCertain "processes" can be patented.
- holograham 14y agonot patenting an action but a system. In this case, as the article specifies, the combination of a scanner, LAN, and application software that allows a user to one button send a scanned image to email. Yes these are patentable under current law.
- greenranger 14y agoWhat if you were to add an extra step, like say opening the scan in an image editor and adding the most subtle watermark or something - would that bypass the legal minefield? Could this process be automated? How is something like this even patentable it boggles the mind!
- pravda 14y agoIsn't it fairly trivial to get around this patent? Instead of 'one-click' to scan a document and email it, just scan the document to a file and then attach the file to an email. Training employees to do this would cost less then $1000/employer that the patent holder is asking.
- joelwilliamson 14y agoWhat I'm interested in is how they determine someone is one-click scanning to email. Do they just bulk mail to businesses and hope their targets use this system?
- ScottBurson 14y agoIt certainly sounded that way from his careful description on the phone call: "If you said you hooked it up to the Internet, and in one button, you can scan and e-mail directly out—yes, you have violated the patent that we own."
- njharman 14y agoI don't believe you actually have to use a thing for the thing to be in violation of patent. Just having created the thing (connecting network to scanner with 1 click scan to email) is in violation of patent.