Someone just patented the internet

[Jon P. Inghram]

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6636857.WKU.&OS=PN/6636857&RS=PN/6636857

Specificly, claim 25:

A method for asset management using the World Wide Web, comprising:

accessing the World Wide Web through a series of computer-related hardware devices connected to a network;

transferring information regarding each computer-related hardware device in said series of computer-related hardware devices to a remote storage medium;

compiling information related to said series of computer-related hardware devices derived from said information residing on said remote storage medium; and

preparing and disseminating reports compiled from said information.

That just about covers the low level operation of the internet; Routers storing MAC addresses of connected devices to generate routing tables relating internet addresses with physical addresses so that they can figure out where to send the packets.

[Gurm]

But so long as it hurts Microsoft, you'll all be telling me that it's NOT too broad. Honest!

- Gurm

[Jon P. Inghram]

Hey, I think the Eolas plug-in patent is lame too, even if it does stick it to MS.

The way I'd like to see MS toppled would be someone to leak a phone converstion with Mr. Gates saying something like "Wow, it's amazing how easy it is to convince the masses to buy our buggy software! Muahahahha!"

[KvHagedorn]

The way I'd like to see MS toppled is for our government to have some balls and wash the sleaze of corporate bribes off themselves and take them down in antitrust action, as provided by laws written by real public servants 100 years ago. We need another Teddy Roosevelt.

[Technoid]

Urghhh

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method of accessing said World Wide Web is over the Internet

[Sasq]

Too lazy to read the whole document, but some of that seems strangely familure to Active Directory, and group policies....

[Greebe]

I believe reading this out of context would lead many to believe the sky is falling, but highly doubt that is what they're refering to.

Just take it with a grain of salt

[Wombat]

Originally posted by Greebe
I believe reading this out of context would lead many to believe the sky is falling, but highly doubt that is what they're refering to.

Just take it with a grain of salt

Nope, I read the claims. They pretty much patented the Internet, online driver updates, and a slew of other stuff.

[TransformX]

Originally posted by Wombat
Nope, I read the claims. They pretty much patented the Internet, online driver updates, and a slew of other stuff.

No no no, they didn't patent the internet itself, what they did patent is most ways of using it.
It's as if Intel wouldn't patent the 0's and 1's, but rather patent their usage in Hardware and Software.

Next think you'll hear that someone patented pissing standing up

[Gurm]

Harmless. Just like the guy who patented document linking. These people promise to ONLY go after Sun and Microsoft. HONEST.

- Gurm

[Admiral]

Those guys at the patent office are brain dead or something ?

[The PIT]

Sounds like a new way of money making to me. Probably makes more money than sueing tobacco companies.

[Technoid]

Originally posted by Admiral
Those guys at the patent office are brain dead or something ?

yup

Since around 1980

[Dilitante1]

Hmmm I thought Al Gore invented it?

[Technoid]

Originally posted by Dilitante1
Hmmm I thought Al Gore invented it?

ROTFLMAO