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Geek Culture / Newegg sued over shopping cart

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Phaelax
DBPro Master
21
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Joined: 16th Apr 2003
Location: Metropia
Posted: 14th Jan 2014 08:07
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There's a patent for a shopping cart? Seriously? Though I suppose it's not the dumbest patent I've ever heard

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/01/13/2347221/supreme-court-refuses-to-hear-newegg-patent-case

http://zimnox.com
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mr Handy
16
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Posted: 14th Jan 2014 09:31
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Like this?

I hope that software patent stupid thing will end soon.

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Van B
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Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 14th Jan 2014 13:26
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I think patent laws need to be tightened - I mean patents are in place to 'protect' intellectual property, and deciding on which graphical icon to use shouldn't be considered intellectual, not in any shape or form.

Heck, I have a bespoke purchase requisition system here at work, and I used a shopping trolley as it's icon - it's an obvious choice. Basically any patent that involves purely aesthetic design should be made void - or just do away with patents altogether - let them try and copyright a picture of a shopping trolley, see how far they get.

I'm old fashioned, I like it when companies just don't patent anything, it's all in-house and top secret - much more interesting than patent forms, court cases, and people ripping you off at every chance - or even people swiping a patent from you then suing you for using your own invention . I mean, surely what happened with the invention of the telephone should have taught us something! (if only not to trust the patent office)

I am the one who knocks...
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The Next
Web Engineer
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Posted: 14th Jan 2014 13:33
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I have to totally agree with everything Van B has said, patents benefit no one and need updating in the way they are used.

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BatVink
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Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 14th Jan 2014 15:11
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Patents stifle creativity, in the main. It stops people taking something good, and making it better, because if they make something better they will get sued.

I think great ideas should be rewarded, but it would be better with a system that defines how you are rewarded and by how much.

Call me a maverick, but I'm sure we'd get cures for many fatal diseases much quicker that way. The claim is that Big Pharma should be rewarded for their huge investments, but that's mixing cause and effect. They put in the investment because of the potential big rewards, but those rewards make the cures unaffordable to those who need it most.

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mr Handy
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Posted: 14th Jan 2014 16:33
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And don't forget about nasty "patent trolls".

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 14th Jan 2014 16:37
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WTF? Seriously? What about all of the other sites that have a shopping cart icon?


Come check out my new website!
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Phaelax
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Location: Metropia
Posted: 14th Jan 2014 19:22
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Quote: " What about all of the other sites that have a shopping cart icon?"

It's not about the icon, I believe their patent simply describes a method for a shopping cart. In my defense, I would've said it's not a shopping cart, it's a shopping basket, completely different!

Quote: "Against Newegg, Soverain won in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas but lost at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which ruled that the three online shopping patents were invalid because they were obvious."


It sounds like Soverain is trying to continue the fight but the Supreme court won't hear the case.

And then there's this bit:
Quote: "The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in December that would encourage judges to award fees to the winner of an infringement lawsuit if the judge deems the lawsuit unfounded."



To me, it sounds like we have made some (common sense) improvements over how patent cases have went in the past.

http://zimnox.com
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nonZero
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Location: Dark Empire HQ, Otherworld, Silent Hill
Posted: 14th Jan 2014 19:53
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Pathetic... Tired of the whole patent-thing. Patents are anti-competitive. It's a big hurt to consumers when some corporation has you by the spheres and can make the product or service as shabby and over-priced as they want. I understand the need to protect IP and all but there has to be a sensible line. I mean imagine a patent on "A graphical UI that utilises rounded or non-rounded quadrallaterals in which applications and OS components run"? MS-Triangles XP anyone?

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