

Uber Seeks to Patent Pricing Surges That Critics Call Gouging - jeffwass
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-18/uber-seeks-to-patent-pricing-surges-that-critics-call-gouging.html

======
kevan
>Uber applied for a U.S. patent last year for “dynamically adjusting prices
for service” using mobile devices. The system measures supply (Uber drivers)
and demand (passengers hailing rides with smartphones), and prices fares
accordingly.

On the one hand, trying to patent the concept of supply and demand seems
laughably naive. Based on the other applications that have been rejected it
seems like they're grasping at straws. On the other hand, their algorithm for
performing surge pricing may be patentable. I'm having trouble finding the
actual patent application, anyone have a link?

~~~
derk333
Here's the patent application filed last year. Based on the Bloomberg report,
it's unclear how the patent application supposedly just filed varies from the
one filed last year. I'm wondering if Bloomberg is just raising the issue now
given the recent publicity around price Uber's 'price gouging.'
[https://www.google.com/patents/US20130246207](https://www.google.com/patents/US20130246207)

