‘Test’ responds to EFF charges
p2pnet.net News:- One of the firms targetted in the EFF’s 10 Most Wanted Patents campaign is Test Central.
Its “Overbroad patent threatens to chill market for distance learning, online books that include tests, online certification tests, and software testing done via the Internet,” says the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) here, going on that Test Central claims it should receive licensing fees from companies or individuals who administer tests on the Net.
It’s also approached universities including Regis University and University of Tulsa, and “Company reps have told the press that Test.com wants to license or sell its patent to a large company who can wrestle more licensing fees out of groups who do online testing,” says the EFF.
However, the New York Times quotes James Posch, Test Central ceo, as saying the company, “had no intention of enforcing its patent against nonprofit institutions”.
Test Central would try to work with the EFF to develop a formal restriction exempting nonprofit users from its patent, says the NYT item.
“We recognize the good E.F.F. is trying to do,” Posch said. “We’re a little bit concerned that they’ve been using a little bit heavier a hammer than they needed to with us.”
Also on the EFF’s 10 Most Wanted list is Clear Channel with “Crimes against the public domain” that’s claiming to own a monopoly on, “all-in-one technologies that produce post-concert live recordings on digital media and forcing bands such as the Pixies to use ClearChannel’s CD-burning systems instead of their own, or those of small start-up companies.
It’s also:
“Threatening to sue anyone who produces post-show live recordings at any of its 100+ venues in the U.S.
“Twisting artists’ arms to give up a significant chunk of their concert merchandise sales, one of the few revenue streams not already taxed by most recording labels
“Inhibiting investment and innovation in the post-event content distribution market by companies such as Kufala and Hyburn.”
Nintendo, too, is in the EFF’s sights. It, “Threatens reverse engineering of videogames to promote interoperability and emulation by hobbyists and entrepreneurs like Crimson Fire Entertainment and Gambit Studios.”
July 6th, 2004 at 10:10 am
As I was wrapping my sandwich in Glad clingwrap, I noticed that the little ‘tabs’ that I punched in at the ends of the box were copywritten.
Basic idea is you, with your thumb, push ‘in’ the cardboard. The ‘pushed in’ bit holds the roll in place, so that it doesn’t fly out when you pull on it.
This ‘patent’ makes me say ‘duh’!
Because ‘Glad’ came up with that idea, does that make it illegal for other companies to have a ‘push-in’ tab?
Where does a ‘patented’ idea become something that just makes sense? Something that would have happened anyhow?
I hate to pull my own chain, but I thought of ‘the remote control finder’ many years back….press a button on a station (TV) and the remote beeps.
Common sense to me! It’s something that I knew would happen.