[IP] IBM patent for responding to natural disaster

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

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From: Sashikumar N [sashikumar.n@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 3:27 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: IBM patent for responding to natural disaster

Dear Prof Dave
Coming on the heels of news that IBM is developing stochastic programs
to manage natural disasters
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/26605 , people have pointed
to actual IBM patent for such thing
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220080077463%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20080077463&RS=DN/20080077463.
isn't this stretching a bit far for patent? Would some body who does a
programming to manage such disasters would violate IBM patent?

regards
sashi

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