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Replying To:
Not a bad analogy[ Parent ] (none / 0) (#7)
by Anonymous User on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 10:36:15 AM PDT

Let me start by saying I side with RIM on this issue - but to play devil's advocate a little bit...

The guy who invented the delayed winshield wiper - let's just say that all he had was an idea and a patent. No prototype, no businessplan, and no funding. I think we all agree that the auto manufacturer's tried to rob him of his idea and he got his due by suing them.

How is that different from NTP? They had an idea we are calling obvious (hindsight???) and whether they could not get funding or the technical know-how to implement are they not due the same consideration we give the guy with the windshield wiper idea?

I could argue that automatically turning your windhshield wipers on and off is obvious.

I am intentionally ignoring some of the facts here. They guy with the wipers had more than an idea - he had a working plan of HOW to implement his idea. Not sure how much of a working plan NTP had...

I differentiate this from one-click shopping or business process patents because of prior art. People had buttons that you click to do many tasks long before Amazon came up with it and the expense to fight it outwieghed the utility for 'small guys'.

[ Parent ]


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