Eeeeeek!!!!!

rattus · 31 August 2003, 00:27

http://exotica.fix.no/

WTF!!!?

Someone please tell me this is some sort of sick joke? why would they shut down ExoticA? What is going on?

Djay · 31 August 2003, 00:32

someone idiot has probably complained that their game music is stored there without permission

RetroMan · 31 August 2003, 00:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Djay
someone idiot has probably complained that their game music is stored there without permission

Nope, they just put it down, because they protest against new software patents law

no need to get upset about it !

Djay · 31 August 2003, 01:14

o i c, what is this new law?

Paul · 31 August 2003, 10:24

The site is still online. Read...

Quote:

To enter this site, click here

Drake1009 · 31 August 2003, 11:18

Basically the new law would allow you to patent something like "putting large letters in bold describing the text to come below it". You'd know it as a heading and it could probably not be patented. But if someone found a new way with the same basic idea they could get a patent on it. If there hadn't already been made an algorithm to calculate an average someone could patent "adding all numbers and dividing by the amount of numbers" and noone else could use this method of calculating an average.

As far as I heard it's both patenting abstract coding principles as well as business methods.

I can't remember where it was, but there was an american museum's homepage who got contacted by a patent holder. There was a nice mail placed on their page. On the mail was a link to the US patent office with a specific patent which described "dividing a page into 2 parts. One part for the information and one part which allows quick access to other parts of the document, which stays static regardless of the browsing of the text". This my friends is what you'd know as a 2 frame layout, one frame for a menu and one frame for the information on the page.
The mail said that they were infringing their patent by having a menu, and mentioned they were willing to license out their patent so they could continue using the menu for a mere $10,000 a year.

Isn't that nice of them?

Fred the Fop · 31 August 2003, 19:30

Rattus, fellow Mac o file...another victim...

http://grenier-du-mac.net/

EternalAmiga · 01 September 2003, 10:32

I work in the Intellectual Property industry and although I haven't been following the new law in Europe closely I feel I should point out a couple of things:

Firstly, when you apply for a patent it is examined against previous patents, non-patent literature and common general knowledge. This is to prevent patents from being granted which are already "known".

Secondly, the USPTO patents everything for example I can give you a US Patent number which patents a stick.

Thirdly, in the frame patent and museum website referred to previously. It would be fairly straight forward for someone to challenge that patent in court and invalidate it as it is obviously a stupid patent.

Fourthly, the European Patent Office are quite thorough and I can assure you they would not patent rediculous patents like the USPTO.

manicx · 01 September 2003, 12:38

All this crap about laws and stuff really pisses me off!

Drake1009 · 01 September 2003, 16:32

I believe it was the EPO which granted the patent for hyperlinks, even if it was a commonly used thing.

EternalAmiga · 02 September 2003, 06:21

I can't comment on the EPO patenting hyperlinks as I don't work for them but they do have a high amount of patents to grant.

Also it may appear they granted hyperlinks but the actual wording of what they granted may be quite complicated. The owner of the patent may have taken a quite liberal interpretation of them in scaring people into believe he held a patent for more than he did.

jmmijo · 02 September 2003, 16:31

Ah yes, the old FUD rears it's ugly head once again

Seems that anybody, any company looking for a quick buck is trying to extort money from everyone else. Damn, how come the "general public" no longer counts ?!?

Well, I already mentioned it, MONEY

Damn sick of it I must say

Drake1009 · 02 September 2003, 18:41

I believe the wording was something along the lines of "embedding and enriching text in a context to allow redirection to related info"

31 August 2003, 00:27	#1
rattus Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 328	Eeeeeek!!!!! http://exotica.fix.no/ WTF!!!? Someone please tell me this is some sort of sick joke? why would they shut down ExoticA? What is going on?

31 August 2003, 00:32	#2
Djay 95th User Join Date: May 2001 Location: Brighton/UK Age: 48 Posts: 3,120	someone idiot has probably complained that their game music is stored there without permission

31 August 2003, 01:14	#4
Djay 95th User Join Date: May 2001 Location: Brighton/UK Age: 48 Posts: 3,120	o i c, what is this new law?

31 August 2003, 11:18	#6
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	Basically the new law would allow you to patent something like "putting large letters in bold describing the text to come below it". You'd know it as a heading and it could probably not be patented. But if someone found a new way with the same basic idea they could get a patent on it. If there hadn't already been made an algorithm to calculate an average someone could patent "adding all numbers and dividing by the amount of numbers" and noone else could use this method of calculating an average. As far as I heard it's both patenting abstract coding principles as well as business methods. I can't remember where it was, but there was an american museum's homepage who got contacted by a patent holder. There was a nice mail placed on their page. On the mail was a link to the US patent office with a specific patent which described "dividing a page into 2 parts. One part for the information and one part which allows quick access to other parts of the document, which stays static regardless of the browsing of the text". This my friends is what you'd know as a 2 frame layout, one frame for a menu and one frame for the information on the page. The mail said that they were infringing their patent by having a menu, and mentioned they were willing to license out their patent so they could continue using the menu for a mere $10,000 a year. Isn't that nice of them?

31 August 2003, 19:30	#7
Fred the Fop flaming faggot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Versailles Age: 55 Posts: 2,808	Rattus, fellow Mac o file...another victim... http://grenier-du-mac.net/

01 September 2003, 10:32	#8
EternalAmiga Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Amigaland Posts: 35	I work in the Intellectual Property industry and although I haven't been following the new law in Europe closely I feel I should point out a couple of things: Firstly, when you apply for a patent it is examined against previous patents, non-patent literature and common general knowledge. This is to prevent patents from being granted which are already "known". Secondly, the USPTO patents everything for example I can give you a US Patent number which patents a stick. Thirdly, in the frame patent and museum website referred to previously. It would be fairly straight forward for someone to challenge that patent in court and invalidate it as it is obviously a stupid patent. Fourthly, the European Patent Office are quite thorough and I can assure you they would not patent rediculous patents like the USPTO.

01 September 2003, 12:38	#9
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	All this crap about laws and stuff really pisses me off!

01 September 2003, 16:32	#10
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	I believe it was the EPO which granted the patent for hyperlinks, even if it was a commonly used thing.

02 September 2003, 06:21	#11
EternalAmiga Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Amigaland Posts: 35	I can't comment on the EPO patenting hyperlinks as I don't work for them but they do have a high amount of patents to grant. Also it may appear they granted hyperlinks but the actual wording of what they granted may be quite complicated. The owner of the patent may have taken a quite liberal interpretation of them in scaring people into believe he held a patent for more than he did.

02 September 2003, 16:31	#12
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,395	Ah yes, the old FUD rears it's ugly head once again Seems that anybody, any company looking for a quick buck is trying to extort money from everyone else. Damn, how come the "general public" no longer counts ?!? Well, I already mentioned it, MONEY Damn sick of it I must say

02 September 2003, 18:41	#13
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	I believe the wording was something along the lines of "embedding and enriching text in a context to allow redirection to related info"

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