Coder Accuses IBM of Patenting His Work 249
ttsiod writes "Back in 2001, I coded HeapCheck, a GPL library for Windows (inspired by ElectricFence) that detected invalid read/write accesses on any heap allocations at runtime — thus greatly helping my debugging sessions. I published it on my site, and got a few users who were kind enough to thank me — a Serbian programmer even sent me $250 as a thank you (I still have his mails). After a few years, Microsoft included very similar technology in the operating system itself, calling it PageHeap. I had more or less forgotten this stuff, since for the last 7 years I've been coding for UNIX/Linux, where valgrind superseded Efence/dmalloc/etc. Imagine my surprise when yesterday, Googling for references to my site, I found out that the technology I implemented, of runtime detection of invalid heap accesses, has been patented in the States, and to add insult to injury, even mentions my site (via a non-working link to an old version of my page) in the patent references! After the necessary 'WTFs' and 'bloody hells' I thought this merits (a) a Slashdotting, and (b) a set of honest questions: what should I do about this? I am not an American citizen, but the 'inventors' of this technology (see their names in the top of the patent) have apparently succeeded in passing this ludicrous patent in the States. If my code doesn't count as prior art, Bruce Perens's Efence (which I clearly state my code was inspired from) is at least 12 years prior! Suggestions/cursing patent trolls most welcome."
Dude. Sue in Britain? (Score:1, Funny)
Oh, why libel - the fact that IBM linked their invention with yours caused you irrevocable damage to your reputation; not only as a F/OSS developer but as an honest human being.
Re:Cited by examiner (Score:4, Funny)
Re:ludicrous (Score:3, Funny)
Courts still find it credible enough to accept patent lawsuits. Even trolls have credibility in East Texas.
Re:ludicrous (Score:2, Funny)
Ah I miss the days when a troll was a giant mythical character causing havoc wherever it went :)
Re:Do not try to sue IBM (Score:5, Funny)
The IBM laywers are also known by the term of Nazgûl. It has been said they can blacken the sky with their legal arguments, if IBM so desires. So don't mess with them unless you either have a certain ring in your posession, or at least a bunch of enchanted swords.
Re:Probably not patenting your exact work (Score:3, Funny)
Indeed. Their extension uses the IBM logo.
Re:Do not try to sue IBM (Score:4, Funny)
or at least a bunch of enchanted swords
I hear Stallman has a few [xkcd.com].
Re:ludicrous (Score:3, Funny)
That may explain why I get all itchy when I get out of the basement.
Re:Answers and Suggestions and Further Questions (Score:1, Funny)
Remember, IBM stands for "Inadequate, But Marketable" ;)
Re:Do not try to sue IBM (Score:1, Funny)
The IBM laywers are also known by the term of Nazgûl. It has been said they can blacken the sky with their legal arguments, if IBM so desires.
Worse. It's actually being said that *IBM* can blacken then sky with *lawyers* if it so desires, because it has access to so many that are all totally devoted to their masters, just waiting to do their bidding.