Paul Graham on Patents

volts writes "The always interesting Paul Graham has a new essay, 'Are Software Patents Evil?'. "A few weeks ago I found to my surprise that I'd been granted four patents. This was all the more surprising because I'd only applied for three...""

Re:The US Patent Office is very generous . . .

[jbrelie]

Buy three - Get one Free!!!

It's marketing. The tobacco companies do it all the time. (Thanks!)

new offer... hurry !

[phreakv6]

I'd been granted four patents. This was all the more surprising because I'd only applied for three...""

Oooooh ! dint u know ? they have an offer on those lil fellas now.
buy three
get one free
hurry.. offer open till stocks(no pun intended) last !

His analogy of the USPTO as a loose woman...

[ameline]

It's a very good article -- and while I've not yet finished reading it, I loved this quote;

  "...the USPTO in effect slept with Amazon on the first date."

As a side note, if any USPTO examiners who are assigned to one of the several applications I have pending are reading this; I will still respect you in the morning -- no really, I will. :-)

greatest quote ever

[Anonymous Coward]

"By granting such an over-broad patent, the USPTO in effect slept with Amazon on the first date. Was Amazon supposed to say no?"