US Patent Applications
November 29th, 2005My brother pointed out to me that my name shows up (finally!) on a US patent application search.
At MyFamily.com we had many ideas and applied for multiple patents. I'm not sure any has issued yet; but at least one is now visible at the USPTO web site.
The patent advanced search engine is highly fielded but has one of the worst interfaces I have used in a long time. I finally figured out how to query it to find our application on what I call the "Visual Next Click Analysis Tool" that we used in-house.
This is much like the Omniture Click Map feature, which I love.
A patent attorney friend told me that only 3% of all patents that are issued actually generate commercial value.
Another patent attorney recently showed me a patent on a way to comb your hair from four different sides to cover up male baldness. So some patents are silly.
But it is still nice to see your name in lights, er, online, every once in a while. :)
(Note: I left MyFamily.com in Feb 2002 and haven't been directly involved with the company since then. I am not a company insider.)
Posted in: Government and Technology Web Analytics
December 3rd, 2005 at 06:03 AM
Congratulations on getting your name on a patent! As a small entity inventor I feel there is a lot of improvement needed in the Patent system as it exists. Some thoughts are on my blog.
Imran Anwar's In My Humble Opinion: Patently Getting Beaten Black & Blue(berry)
regards
Imran
http://imran.TV
December 6th, 2005 at 07:43 AM
The patent you indicated is a perfect example of why I feel software patents shouldn't be allowed. This is neither novel, nor unique. Nearly every content management system I have ever seen maintains usage information and allows both users and administrators the ability to monitor link usage. Just my $0.02.
John
December 6th, 2005 at 19:17 PM
Patents tend to be generic anyway. Most patents, except those covering new and just
discovered technologies, are a rehash of an older patent making most patents difficult to
defend in court. Issue here isn't the patent but the idea that "it is patented" and therefore
poses a threat or risk to potential violators of the patent. It will not prevent someone from
making changes or implementing portions of the patent so as to develop a new or different
way of doing things. We call that innovation.
December 6th, 2005 at 21:24 PM
My new favorite bogus patent:
http://tinyurl.com/6qxl7
Things like this make me think the US patent system *must* be profoundly broken.
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