BT suing Google for various patent infringements

[Recursion]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16243414?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Ridiculous!

One example is:

Another example is Google Maps ability to make different information available at different levels of zoom.

Now, is it me, or is that not a pretty standard feature amongst all Sat Navs?

[Chippiewill]

Pretty standard feature of all GIS

[GommeInc]

Well that's BT added to the interesting diagram of pointless court cases between multitudes of organisations who feel they can patent whole concepts. Governments across the globe should just have all of them fined and the patents systems stripped out of patents which are protecting concepts which hinder innovation and limit creative license - the world would be a richer place. Only patent a way in which to manipulate a concept, never the concept itself.

[Chippiewill]

Is the internet still patentable, I could make a lot of money..

But yes, there is a point where patents prevent innovation and should be scrapped. For example allowing patenting of touch screens is dumb because that's the market at the moment, it prevents a contributing evolution of a technology.

[Eoin247]

Well that's BT added to the interesting diagram of pointless court cases between multitudes of organisations who feel they can patent whole concepts. Governments across the globe should just have all of them fined and the patents systems stripped out of patents which are protecting concepts which hinder innovation and limit creative license - the world would be a richer place. Only patent a way in which to manipulate a concept, never the concept itself.

Well said andi completely agree with you! I would +Rep if it wasn't on cooldown for you.

Can you imagine if the internet had been patented what life would be like today?