An Incredibly Stupid Patent

Patent 6,671,812: “A system, method, and computer program product are provided for cleaning a computer. Initially, a cleaning program is downloaded to a computer. Next, a search for undesired data and software is performed on the computer utilizing the cleaning program. Such undesired data and software is then deleted from the computer utilizing the cleaning program. ” Unbelievable that this patent could be granted on December 30, 2003! Haven't these people at the patent office ever heard of PRIOR ART!?!? There have been programs around for YEARS that do what is described in this patent. Also, things that are OBVIOUS are not supposed to patentable. And finally, IDEAS are not supposed to patentable, only inventions. This is a concept, not an invention! By this patent, Spybot Search and Destroy (for example) would have to pay a license fee to Network Associates because their product does what is described in the patent—even though their product predates the issuance of this patent by a long shot. This is just one example of a patent system that is broken as described in this Wired magazine article. This is the same U.S. Patent Office that patented a method for swinging on a swing, “in which a user positioned on a standard swing suspended by two chains from a substantially horizontal tree branch induces side to side motion by pulling alternately on one chain and then the other”, a patent that tells me the examiner never had a childhood, or they would have KNOWN how much prior art existed. It's definately a system in need of fixing.
End rant.

Posted by trygstad | Category: Rant | 10:59 AM