It appears that the well-known Amazon "One-Click" patent has been successfully challenged in a re-examination by the USPTO. This patent has always intrigued me for two reasons:
- I've never been able to see anything in it that warranted a patent
- The One-Click patent references two of my patents (5204897,5260999)and I've never been able to figure out why there was any connection between my patents and the "One-Click" patent...
Now, I think we'll all be better off without this patent on the books -- but, I'll miss the links. Hopefully, when people see that it was possible for someone to challenge this patent and have it modified, they'll be encouraged to challenge more of them.
bob wyman
I didn't get the highest grade in my patents class this summer, but Amazon may have referenced your patents as a way to note (1) that their patent was distinguishable, and (2) that your work was not "prior art" that would prevent them from securing their patent.
On my very brief examination, all the patents you're referencing are gobbledegook to me. :) But the above is what comes to mind when I see prior patents referenced in an application for a new patent.
Posted by: Michele Grant | November 05, 2007 at 14:32
Good news. Amazon 'one-click' is a joke of a patent.
Basically, its a credit card payment system complete with unique identifier (yeah, that 4xxxx number), user dbms, address, pre-registration, purchase history,etc. Take away the magnetic strip and add an Internet GUI. 'One swipe versus 'One click'. Big deal. The connection is so common and obvious that it is not.
Posted by: adrian | January 21, 2009 at 20:57