[IP] Re: Boingo awarded patent for hotspot access

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Stephe Wilks <stephe.wilks@hepl.com.au>
Date: June 24, 2009 6:44:23 PM EDT
To: <dave@farber.net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Re:    Boingo awarded patent for hotspot access
Reply-To: <Stephe.Wilks@hepl.com.au>

Dave  --

While I am sure Mr Stucke's comment was appropriately tongue in cheek,  
it
may be worth having a little background on the "Australian Patent Office
accepted a patent for the wheel" comment...

For example:

www.ipmenu.com/archive/AUI_2001100012.pdf

In essence (as I understand it), a short form application can be made -
without examination - for an 'innovation patent'.  However, no  
enforcement
action can be taken without subsequent examination, and a number of  
other
limitations apply.  Potentially, a very good development in limiting  
patent
length, while fostering innovation.

That is, the wheel application was essentially a joke... (perhaps the
Australian sense of larrikinism doesn't travel well).

--  Stephe

-----Original Message-----
From: David Farber [mailto:dave@farber.net]
Sent: Wednesday, 24 June 2009 11:31 pm
To: ip
Subject: [IP] Re: Boingo awarded patent for hotspot access



Begin forwarded message:

From: "William Stucke" <William@zanet.co.za>
Date: June 24, 2009 3:24:22 AM EDT
To: <dave@farber.net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Boingo awarded patent for hotspot access

Hi David,

> This patent highlights our commitment.

Unless the patent is for something other than indicated in the
article, this
patent rather highlights the stupidity of the US Patent Office, which
has
issued patents for many other things that are by no means original
inventions, including the children's swing, recently.

Of the many things claimed in this patent, only interchanging data
between
an access point database on the client device and on a central server
seems
vaguely original.

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1
&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,483,984.PN.&OS=PN/
7,483
,984&RS=PN/7,483,984

They're in good company. The Australian Patent Office accepted a
patent for
the wheel ...

Kind regards,

William Stucke
--
William@qpop.co.za
Cell:   083-308-0700
After Hours: 074-333-0109







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