IBM Patents Web Page Templates 420
jalefkowit writes: "More follies from the US Patent & Trademark Office ... now IBM has been awarded US Patent #6,304,886 for software that automatically "generates [a] customized Web site without the Web site creator writing any HTML or other programming code", based on "a plurality of pre-stored templates, comprising HTML formatting code, text, fields, and formulas" that are then customized through the process of asking the user a few questions. In other words, they've patented the ubiquitous wizards found in FrontPage and other newbie-oriented HTML editors. This was submitted to the USPTO on June 19, 1998 -- surely someone out there knows of prior art for this?"
Sorry IBM (Score:2, Funny)
David
Word wizards + HTML save = HTML wizard (Score:2, Funny)
Can you imagine.... (Score:2, Funny)
:-P
AT&T sues IBM!! (Score:2, Funny)
#include, found in the C language's preprocessor, was invented in the early 1970's by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie. "The #include directive is really a very innovative invention", said John Law, director of language sales at AT&T. "The technology landscape just wouldn't be the same without it".
Representatives from IBM were unavailable for comment, but were heard muttering something about how they "can't stand it when someone beats us to it".
Only one thing left to do... (Score:2, Funny)
Iraq grabbing anthrax delivery patents (Score:1, Funny)
IBM, Come get me you skanky bastards (Score:5, Funny)
int main (int argc, char** argv) {
char buff[100];
printf ("Please enter in your web text: ");
scanf ("%s", buff);
printf ("Your web page: <HTML><BODY><b>%s</b></BODY></HTML>\n", buff);
}
PATENT: "A Mini Play" by Nathdot (Score:2, Funny)
MICROSOFT: "Well I patent HTML"
IBM: "Well I patent the whole internet."
MICROSOFT: "Well I patent all the computers."
IBM: "Well I patent YOU!"
MICROSOFT: "Well I patent you times one thousand"
IBM: "I patent you times one million"
MICROSOFT: "I patent you times infinity. No returnsy, personal jinx, sucks to be you!!!"
*SMACK!*
MICROSOFT: "MOM!... IBM hit me!"
MOM (aka US Supreme Court): "Stop your whining! I thought I told you: 'No more patenting after you stole Java from your baby brother'."
:)
Re:Sorry IBM (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Patented Dirt (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Word wizards + HTML save = HTML wizard (Score:3, Funny)
I tmay be humour, but it's the only way to get decent HTML out of word...
Re:Prior Art (Score:3, Funny)
How about whatever system of "plurality of templates" the USPTO web site was using prior to mid-1998?
Re:IBM, Come get me you skanky bastards (Score:3, Funny)
Tsk, it's the mandatory backdoor for the NSA to use to ensure that the system that the binary resides on isn't being used by baby raping file sharing anthrax snorting terrorist monsters.