Microsoft monetizes Santa’s Wish List
p2pnet news | Product News:- "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," writes theodp on Slashdot.
But, "making a list for him now constitutes patent infringement," he says, adding, "USPTO officials were busy over the holidays wrapping up the paperwork to grant Microsoft its wish for a patent on the Wish List, which was issued to the software giant on New Year’s Day."
‘Virginia’ is eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon who in the late 1800s wrote to the New York Sun. An unsigned editorial from Francis Pharcellus Church resulted and it’s, "since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps," says Newseum.
Wrote Virginia, "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"
Answered Church, "No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
Now, "Thank God! he lives," say Bill and the Boyz delightedly. "That means we can make some hard cash out of him 
"
Because Microsoft’s wish for a patented Wish List was answered by Teresa Martineau and Arnold N. Blinn.
The abstract for their Wish List reads:
An electronic item list system and method, such as a wish or gift list, for an electronic shopping mall/online shopping portal, or an item list system provided as a software service. The system and method provides a user with the ability to create a list of items that the user would like others to purchase for the user as a gift or as a list of items that the user would like to retain for a later purchase. A user interface is provided that allows the user to select items electronically to add to a user specific gift list. The items are not limited to specific products, but can include general product categories and/or products from a specific merchant or manufacturer. The user interface communicates through an interface component that extracts data from a number of databases. For example, the databases can include a merchant database, an offers database, a manufacturers database and a products database. The interface will extract data from one or all of the databases based on the amount of information in a gift list request and provide the best results. As records are removed from the databases, the interface allows for graceful degradation of the display, such that something is always displayed to the user.
Nice one, Bill.
Also see:
Slashdot – Making a List for Santa Patented by Microsoft, January 2, 2008
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