IBM Tries To Patent Offshoring 242
Ian Lamont writes "IBM has filed a patent application that covers offshoring employees. Application 20090083107, dated March 26, 2009, is a 'method and system for strategic global resource sourcing.' Figure 2 gives a pretty good idea of what's involved — it shows boxes labelled 'Engineer,' 'HR,' and 'Programmer' with crossing arrows pointing to cylinders labelled 'India,' 'China,' and 'Hungary.' The article speculates that IBM may apply the methodology to its own staff — it reportedly plans to lay off thousands of employees and has even started a program to have IBM workers transfer to other countries at local wages."
Application #20090083107 (Score:4, Funny)
No wonder why they want to outsource That's a big number. In my day, patents were slowly incrementing in the 7 figure range. I can't wait until they hire monkeys to type up more applications. IBM made the best typewriters...
Bullet dodging armor (Score:1, Funny)
Now we know why IBM was working on this. [slashdot.org] Let's face it, you don't fuck over that many people without winding up with somebody gunning for you. Being an IBM executive in this country sure isn't going to get you much love for a long, long time to come.
Re:This is just ridiculous (Score:5, Funny)
This provides for an entirely new strategy (Score:5, Funny)
I'm patenting a "Method for doing business without regard to ethical or moral principles."
The cool thing is that patent trolls now have to come to me first - take that assholes!!!!
"Oh my how the money rolls in!"
Pug
Okay, really? (Score:3, Funny)
I hope it works (Score:5, Funny)
and IBM charge a ridiculous fee for those buisness that want to "use" this patent.
Re:Journalistic integrity, FFS (Score:5, Funny)
There is only one sentence with the words "Slashdot", "journalistic", and "integrity" in it that makes sense: "Slashdot has no journalistic integrity".
Alternatively:
Slashdot? Haha. Journalistic? Hahahaha. Integrity? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAOMGWTFLOLBBQROTFLMAOHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Finally (Score:3, Funny)
A patent I can fully endorse. So IBM can corner the market on poorly developed spaghetti, while simultaneously removing the cost advantage to outsourcing by anyone else. The free market is better than regulation!