Amazon Patent on Coordinating Gift Delivery

[Seth Johnson <seth.johnson@RealMeasures.dyndns.org>]

(Forwarded from DotGNU Developers list)

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:07:01 -0800
From: Eric Altendorf <EricAltendorf@orst.edu>
To: developers@dotgnu.org


Off topic, but this is the sort of crap that gets me
motivated, so I thought I'd throw it out here and try to
rile up some folks. :-)

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

First Amazon patents the concept of a "one-click purchase". 
Now they want to patent the concept of "coordinating the
delivery of a gift".
> http://www.nypost.com/technology/64022.htm

(Yet another reason why I refuse to shop at Amazon...)

Someone please tell me how issuing 20-year government
enforced monopolies on concepts, ideas, or algorithms is
good for competition or in any way whatsoever encourages
technological progress in a free market.

For more information on the disturbing trend in patenting
ideas read James Gleick's excellent editorial in the New
York Times:
> http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000312mag-patents.html


Eric
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