IBM Ditches Outsourcing Patent 85
Xenographic writes "IBM has dropped their controversial outsourcing patent, both withdrawing the application and placing it into the public domain. Apparently, it was filed eight months before they implemented more stringent reviews of their patent applications so as to avoid filing for obvious patents, especially business method patents. The notice also says that they would like to thank the community for bringing it to their attention."
it's patently ridiculous (Score:5, Funny)
As a matter of fact, they've patented their stringent review process, and would like to take this opportunity to tout their reasonable patent review process licensing terms.
Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
But IBM is more than just a services company...it does have a social conscience (world community grid, OO.o, patents, support for Linux etc etc), it produces some fantastic technology (System z mainframes, some of the best Unix boxes, some amazing software)...it does real research, not just product development, but real, pure research into physics, computer science...it is actively promoting green computing.
Sure - it's not perfect, there are always bits of a large corporate that are going to be "evil"(TM), I for one am glad that IBM is not a M$, or a SCO etc.
And yes, I do work for IBM, so I am biased. I do feel for my colleagues who are being outsourced...but I know that IBM will do its utmost to find them good jobs.
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"Sure - it's not perfect, ..."
It was even less 'evil' once:
http://web.archive.org/web/20060426151241/http://www.siam.org/siamnews/mtc/mtc593.htm [archive.org]Re:Actually... (Score:5, Interesting)
For a multinational corporation as big as IBM, is it "evil" for them to outsource jobs to India, China, etc? What if they outsourced jobs to the U.S. Would that be considered evil as well?
By moving jobs to where the labor is cheaper, they are proping up those economies. The more money the people have in poorer nations, the more companies will flourish there, providing more customers for services & products produced by IBM.
It's a long-term plan for a company that plans to be around decades from now. Should it be labeled evil?
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Re:Actually... (Score:4, Interesting)
So while it may be true that free trade is better for the world, in aggregate, it does not change the fact that it is worse for many individuals. Considering that the individual is almost always powerless in the employer-employee relationship, especially in the case of a multinational corporation, I find it hard to have sympathy for the corporation. I won't even get into comparing the expense accounts of the highest-paid employees to the wages of the lowest-paid.
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So while it may be true that free trade is better for the world, in aggregate, it does not change the fact that it is worse for many individuals.
Yeah, and many marriages end in divorce because of free trade *choice*. The *only* alternative to free trade is rape and slavery. So while it's true some may be left with broken hearts, or absent paychecks, enforcing anti-free trade protectionism is the exact opposite of freedom.
You can quit your job. You don't have to take that job in the first place. You can start your own company and pay whatever wages you want to pay.
Here's an epistemological economic truth 101 lesson for you:
Trade only occurs because
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The *only* alternative to free trade is rape and slavery.
This is obviously not true. We currently live in a society where Free Trade does not exist. Can you name one government that does not regulate trade? One could argue that free trade (little "f", little "t") exists on a microeconomic scale, i.e., bartering. But even that is only prima facie free trade. For one, it ignores the bigger economic picture, like how a local economy fits into a regional, or national, or international one. It also
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IBM will outsource because it improves their bottom line. And that is the bottom line. The fact that it increases the GDP of foreign nations and reduces the GDP of ours is not something they consider significant at all. When the US is no longer the GDP king, they will relocate their company to the nation that benefits them the most.
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So kudos to the people at IBM.
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You work for IBM. So are you an IBMer, an LTS (Long-Term Supplemental), or contractor (the lowest of the low)? I would really like to know. I used to work at IBM.
I am a full-time IBMer. Admittedly, I work in Europe and I don't work in services...oh, and I should add that I am a manager. I actually do think that there's some crap stuff going on, esp in services and particularly in the US. We're lucky that in Europe our governments set a level playing field f
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They are NOT outsourcing to skilled offshore workers. Case in point, American operators require 2 years of experience plus degree, or four years experience plus. The Brazillion operators they are offshoring to (starting with the Nissan account, loved that project), the ONLY requirement they had: Speaking English.
I say bullshit.
I have never worked for IBM but I have worked at callcenters that were opened here in Mexico as outsourcing operations and the requirements for a job are usually as stringent here as in the US, and the fact is that finding someone qualified for a job (and that is bilingual to boot) is just as hard than in the US.
The thing is, that when you do find one you'll be able to hire him for less money and the whole has less turnover rates (and therefore reduced training costs) than a comparable callc
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Speechless (Score:3, Funny)
Speechless.
Kudos to IBM.
Re:Speechless (Score:5, Insightful)
If they passed on this patent, there's a reason why, and it's not because they're trying to be "nice."
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That's OK. (Score:5, Insightful)
It is also OK for all of us to PUSH BACK! With words. With our purchases. With actions.
A good company will respond to the wishes of the public and will no when they are about to step over a line the public will not stand for. Admitting they are wrong is a good thing.
Does it mean they won't try something similar in the future? Perhaps, but, that is not the point. The point is that they will respect the voice of the public if the public makes itself heard.
That is really all we can ask for. It is good that things like Slashdot and the rest of the internet allow us all to so unequivocally express our displeasure and let it be known that we feel a company's actions are overstepping what WE THE PEOPLE feel is appropriate.
It is good that a company can get such a clear message to provide them appropriate moral and ethical direction.
not ok for thieves, so not for business either (Score:3, Insightful)
... It's OK for a company to "push the envelope" to make money ... It is also OK for all of us to PUSH BACK! With words. With our purchases. With actions.
Does this mean that it is OK for a thief to try to steal your precious laptop when you aren't looking, and only return it if you start yelling?
A patent is a monopoly - a restriction of freedom. Supposedly, a patent must document some useful knowledge that was not widely known before. For certain pieces of knowledge, some people might say that they can accept having to withstand a monopoly. But if a patent does not offer anything useful (ie it documents some knowledge that is widely available), then
Good Point! (Score:1)
Why do companies get a pass when they try to do something deceitful and underhanded?
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Gerry
Re:Speechless (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe it all boiled down to considering the potential dollars coming from that patent, net of the probable litigation costs, Vs the actual loss of face in front of the geeks that are helping IBM fight MS dominance in the desktop OS.
Well done IBM, the currently less evil of 'em all.
Re:Speechless (Score:5, Funny)
If Bill Gates could see what you wrote, he'll stay there staring at his giant screen with his jaw dropped for the longest time ever, then fall on the floor dead.
nah (Score:2)
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main reason was this : (Score:2)
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This is something to applaud rather than pour scorn on.
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The future is not in the type of market fundamentalism that we see around us so much. The future is in every part of our society acting somewhat responsibly. IBM is further along that curve than most companies.
This is a good thing, no need to be super-cynical about
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Why does everyone act like it's perfectly normal for companies to act in a completely anti-social manner?
Because it is? It's been drilled into our heads since highschool that the point of business is to make money by any means necessary, and business hasn't done anything to counter that impression.
I think most people wouldn't accept that from their neighbours and that anti-social actions by companies is hurting our world more than ever.
Most people accept a lot of shit from big companies that they wouldn't accept from another person.
The future is not in the type of market fundamentalism that we see around us so much. The future is in every part of our society acting somewhat responsibly.
Then the future is fucked. Might as well fellate a shotgun now. Modern society is incompatible with personal responsibility.
IBM is further along that curve than most companies.
Talk about setting your low bars...
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1. conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
It's the way most large corporations act because they -know- they can get away with it and they'll make more money doing so.
I'm one of the few not applauding IBM for this. They did the right thing, and that's good, but they should have done it in the first place. They aren't sorry they did it, either... Notice they'd like to thank us, not apolo
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Why does everyone act like it's perfectly normal for companies to act in a completely anti-social manner?
Because they have a legal obligation to: http://www.medialens.org/articles/the_articles/articles_2002/rh_corporate_responsibility.html [medialens.org]. Specifically, they are obliged to try to make money no matter who they shaft, and the directors can face legal sanction if they fail to do so.
I happen to think that's a bad thing, but unless legislation changes, that's the way it is, and it's no good blaming the companies.
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Public Relations.
And why is PR important?
Because it relates to the bottom line.
Any more questions?
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They realised it was a patentable thing, but didn't want it. So they filed, got it, and put the patent in the public domain, thus protecting themselves from any problems that might emerge from such a patent being granted to a patent troll.
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They rarely sue anybody else for patent infringement. However, if you try to sue them, their lawyers will be happy to point out the three thousand IBM patents that your whatchamacallit infringes.
And they almost never settle. They kept the US Department of Justice in court for well over a decade, as I recall.
It was a sign of the sheer desperation of Darl McBride and crew at SCO when they decided to sue IBM. Yeah, your cr
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Re:Speechless (Score:5, Insightful)
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However, regarding sending business to Dell for their Linux machines(which I have no problem with -- good on them), how about rewarding businesses like system 76, (http://www.system76.com/) who have been making high quality Linux ready systems all along? I just ordered a laptop from them (Pangolin) 3 days ago with Ubuntu installed on a high end Linux optimized (with drivers) system and with tech support.
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They're still a business, so of course they encourage their employees t
Good. (Score:2)
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Apple also borked my new iPhone on-purpose, simply because they detected I had tried (unsuccessfully) to unlock it. They've crossed over into some of the most evil practices I've seen, outdoing even the worst from M$. I must admit I enjoyed smashing the thing to pieces in front of the "Genius" at the Apple store.
Not that I believe your story, but if it was true then you were incredibly stupid.
First, for borking your iPhone when the updater clearly says that after mucking around with it the update would be likely to break the phone. Second, for not just sending it to Apple for repair or warranty replacement (because firmware upgrades tend to occasionally just break things anyway, and this happened to some iPhone users, and they did get their phone replaced, no questions asked), and thirdly because smashing the
Re:IBM = Indian Business Machines (Score:4, Insightful)
But IBM is more than just a services company...it does have a social conscience (world community grid, OO.o, patents, support for Linux etc etc), it produces some fantastic technology (System z mainframes, some of the best Unix boxes, some amazing software)...it does real research, not just product development, but real, pure research into physics, computer science...it is actively promoting green computing.
Sure - it's not perfect, there are always bits of a large corporate that are going to be "evil"(TM), I for one am glad that IBM is not a M$, or a SCO etc.
And yes, I do work for IBM, so I am biased. I do feel for my colleagues who are being outsourced...but I know that IBM will do its utmost to find them good jobs.
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Dupe [slashdot.org]
Gah! Which one is real?
Obligatory Matrix Quote (Score:1)
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IBM! Yay! (Score:1)
I say, "Hat's Off"!
Thank You IBM!
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I think it's sad that we are happy about it, this should be an every day normality... But unfortunately reality is quite different!
Anyway, congratulations to IBM! It's good to know there are companies who think of the greater good instead of just their own. In the end they will be bett
So let me get this straight - .... (Score:1, Funny)
Well, what goes around, comes around.....:)
Wow (Score:5, Funny)
Wow... so they did that? Now I know, IBM is a corporation as any, working for profit, and they probably had reasons better than altruism to drop a patent that could cause them issues in court in the future.
But I almost shed a tear reading this, a company giving up on a patent on their own since they consider it obvious. Next thing you know, we'll be allowed to do things with a single click.
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IBM are cowards (Score:1, Insightful)
With the current public opinion on outsourcing (i.e. they're stealing our jobs) IBM knows that they'll come off badly in the press. So the yellow-bellies at IBM backed down.
They're not just evil, they're sneaky too.
This patent? (Score:4, Informative)
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Kinda feels good (Score:1)
Yeah, thanks (Score:2)
Sure they would. I think this is a similar kind of thanks that schoolkids were supposed to give on receiving a beating: "thank you sir, may i have another"
Was Part of the Patent... (Score:2)
Serious note: Big kudos to IBM on dropping this. IMO it shouldn't have been attempted to been patented in the first place, but at least for whatever reason it was dropped overall.
Outsourcing patented? (Score:1, Flamebait)
Thanks IBM, you did the right thing (Score:2, Interesting)