Quote:
Originally posted by walktalker
SBC claims Web frames patent
SBC Communications is claiming a wide-ranging patent on Web frames that could affect hundreds of sites that use the technology. In a letter sent to at least one company that uses frames on its Web site, SBC said it is entitled to as much as $50 million in licensing fees, although actual figures would depend upon a company's revenue. Museum Tour, a Milwaukie, Ore.-based seller of educational products, received a letter from SBC last week accusing it of infringing two of its patents. In the letter sent to Museum Tour President Marilynne Eichinger, SBC's Harlie Frost, president of intellectual property, pointed out that the Museumtour.com Web site contains tabs pointing to different Web pages within the site, and those tabs are in a frame that does not disappear as a person navigates the site.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-981446.html
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Every time I see some greedy company demanding license fees for something as simple and commonly used as a double click, based on some old patent that some ignorant patent office clerk has happened to grant... I feel like
.... sheer abuse of the patent system.... we all would be much better off if all software and algorithms were non-patentable.
Anyway, thanks for the news, WT!
- tg
