Google wireless patents

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat org>
Date: March 28, 2006 6:22:28 PM EST
To: dave () farber net, Ip ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: Google wireless patents

Dave:

Apparently, Google has been hard at work attempting to patent obvious  
features that might be used in advertising-sponsored public access  
wireless systems. The article at

http://news.com.com/Google+employees+wireless+patents+published/ 
2100-1038_3-6054310.html

lists three of the patents.

We've been doing similar things for many years at the wireless  
hotspots we set up for local businesses, such as cybercafes. And  
we're far from the only ones. Such techniques have been used by many  
folks long before the filing dates of the patents. We never would  
have imagined that anyone would try to patent such things, especially  
given all of the prior art. And we find it hard to imagine that none  
of the patent examiners had ever encountered such techniques at  
wireless hotspots -- unless, perhaps, they had never used one.

Is Google being evil yet?

--Brett Glass



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