January 21st, 2009

USPTO overturns patent for virtual subdomains

By Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has rejected 20 patent claims on an Internet subdomain patent, ruling that the concepts were obvious and therefore not patentable. The patent owner must now decide whether to amend the claims and make them more narrow, or to give up altogether...

The Electronic Frontier Foundation took aim at the patent via its Patent Busting Project, calling it a "bogus software patent" that stifles creativity and innovation. The Ideaflood patent made the EFF's Top Ten Most Wanted list, and the EFF joined forces with attorney Rick Mc Leod to request a USPTO reexamination of the patent's claims.

Related Issues: Privacy

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