
Facebook envy? Amazon.com patents social networking system - tswicegood
http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2010/06/amazon_wants_to_be_facebook_e-tailer_patents_social_networking_system.html
======
rbanffy
Isn't this patent thing getting ridiculous. More important: if you do
something on year A and file a patent on year A+9 when lots of companies are
already doing products like yours, do you still have the right to patent
something?

Can you write down a lot of ideas and then patent only the ones people
developed into products? That's a sure cost-saver.

~~~
michael_dorfman
No, you can't. If you do something on year A, and file a patent on year A+9
when lots of companies are doing products like yours, those products would
count as "prior art" at the time of the filing. Even if such a patent were
granted (and it happens, on occasion), it wouldn't likely survive a challenge
in court.

~~~
rbanffy
So, this Amazon patent is completely worthless, right?

~~~
michael_dorfman
Well, that would take a lawyer (or somebody skilled in reading patents) to
say, after reading it carefully-- which isn't something you can do quickly.

This patent was filed in 2008, but it is a continuation of a patent filed in
2004, which was split off from another patent filed in 2004, which was a
continuation of a patent filed in 1999, which was a continuation of a patent
filed in 1997.

In other words, it is possible that there are claims here that predate any of
Facebook's prior art-- but that would depend upon the specific claims in the
prior patents.

~~~
rbanffy
Thanks. I had a strong suspicion they wouldn't make it that easy...

