[Patents] Re: IBM toilet reservation patent

[phm@a2e.de (PILCH Hartmut)]

Krzystof Sobolewski suggested:

> > http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06329919__
> >
> >     U.S. Patent 6,329,919
> >     System and method for providing reservations for restroom use
> >     IBM (filed Aug. 2000, issued Dec. 11 2001)
> > ...
> >
> >     What is claimed is:
> >
> >     1. A method of providing reservations for restroom use, comprising:
> >
> >         receiving a reservation request from a user; and
> >
> >         notifying the user when the restroom is available for his or
> >         her use.
> >
> >     2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a
> >     reservation number in response to the request.
> >
> >     ... (8 further dependent claims)
> >
> > If the patent gets issued at the EPO, an extra dependent claim should be
> > added:
> >
> >     11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an option to
> >         order a roll of toilet paper with the following printed on it
> >         (1) art 52 EPC
> >         (2) a portrait of emperor Caligula
> >         (3) the words "pecunia non olet"
>
> Well, and (4):
>
> The big, blue letters "IBM" ;))))

Good Idea.
IBM has made decisive contributions to patent inflation at the EPO and at
the BGH, anyway.  The string search patent for which they fought up to the
BGH recently

        http://swpat.ffii.org/stidi/papri/bgh-suche01/

was not any better than this toilet occupation patent.  Only a little less
funny.

Note that my first text contained some minor errors which are corrected
above.

-- 
Hartmut Pilch                                          http://phm.ffii.org/
Protecting Innovation against Patent Inflation       http://swpat.ffii.org/
100,000 signatures against software patents      http://www.noepatents.org/