SBC Pursuing "RAND" Patent on Website Navigation

(Forwarded from Boing Boing Blog)


-------- Original Message --------
    Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 06:19:03 -0800
    From: "Cory Doctorow" <doctorow@craphound.com>
      To: boingboing-mailblog@yahoogroups.com


SBC is claiming that it holds a valid patent on website
navigation and has begun to shake down  websites for license
fees. Near as I can tell, they think their patent applies to
virtually every website  extant. 

    We recently observed several useful navigation features
within the user interface or your  site www.museumtour.com.
For example your site includes several selectors or tabs
that  correspond to specific locations within your site
documents. These selectors seem to reside  in their own
frame or part of the user interface. And, as such, the
selectors are not lost when  a different part of the
document is displayed to the user - see screen shots from 
museumtour.com enclosed. By sperating the selectors from the
content, Museumetour has  truly simplified site navigation
and improved the shopping experience for its users. 

    As you review the Structured Document Patent you will
notice that the above-discussed  features appear to infringe
several issued claims in our patent. In light of Museum
Tours  presumed respect for the intellectual property rights
of others, we are pleased to offer you a  Preferred Rate
license under the structured Document Patent - see enclosed
rate schedule.

Link: http://www.museumtour.com/sbclawsuit.html
Discuss: http://www.quicktopic.com/boing/H/BZUaQUY74Rzd8
(via Interesting People
[http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/])

--
Posted by Cory Doctorow to Boing Boing Blog at 1/20/2003
6:19:01 AM

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Received on Monday, 20 January 2003 12:50:48 UTC