Can URL Transaction Tests Be Patented? 12
amazedByTheUSPTO asks: "There is a new patent by Freshwater that covers eBusiness Transaction Monitoring. In reading the patent, I was surprised that the U.S. Patent Office even issued this one. If memory serves me right, Big Brother has been doing this for way longer than what the patent states. Because of this patent, am I going to pay for my home grown scripts that test to see if my server is up and running?
Are this people insane??? (Score:1)
Some time ago there was an article on /.
about
an Patent Horror Gallery [slashdot.org]. This could/should be just one of them.
Maybe someone should Patent HyperLinks :)
--
too late! (Score:2)
Hey, you didn't pay me the royalties on my breathing patent.
Yes and no (Score:2)
analyzing the HTML for errors storing results in the database - Store in an RDBMS? or is a text file considered a database? Also is the analyzing on the content returned or the checking the HTTP header? Or do they imply HTTP header is part of the HTML which it is not.
. Preferably, the test configuration ... - Preferably? Heh? How can you get a preferably in a patent? Either you do it or you don't. Then you file 2 patents. Preferably leaves wide open whole for various implementations which violate the patent.
It is somewhat specific because it takes the HTML coming back and creates a new HTTP request based on the response. (Sounds like a bot now) ...
Huh, a link checker would be affected too? (Score:1)
Re:Huh, a link checker would be affected too? (Score:1)
An this one seems way out of bounds and not reasonable at all!
Don't worry about your homegrown scripts... (Score:2)
It is only when you try to sell or distribute the device in some way that it goes into patent infringement. So your homegrown scripts should be fine (if you were really worried about them at all), but if you decide to put them on SourceForge - well, good luck...
Personally, I think this patent is a bunch of bull, I am certain there is plenty of prior art...
Worldcom [worldcom.com] - Generation Duh!
Re:Don't worry about your homegrown scripts... (Score:2)
I was assuming (a bad thing to do), that when the poster said "home-grown", he meant he used them from home to monitor a remote server (that he owned), for no commercial gain.
I can see how this would be a thorny thing in a commercial environment.
I agree, this is a pretty lame patent...
Worldcom [worldcom.com] - Generation Duh!
Re:Don't worry about your homegrown scripts... (Score:1)
Re:Don't worry about your homegrown scripts... (Score:2)
Worldcom [worldcom.com] - Generation Duh!
Re:Don't worry about your homegrown scripts... (Score:2)
Mainly because of VR - VPL locked up glove patents (among others) - which is why there aren't many gloves as input devices (at least in the VR environment). I published a text file detailing how to "homebrew" a VPL-like glove (after seeing publically available information). By your statement, I would be infringing.
Just wanting to know if I really am...
Worldcom [worldcom.com] - Generation Duh!
Re:Don't worry about your homegrown scripts... (Score:1)
my browser violates this patent... (Score:1)
1. A method for testing a web site comprising:
-
formulating a test configuration file
comprising a series of test inquiries
for a web site to be tested
So in my prefs.js configuration file for Mozilla, my homepage is setup to look at the / doc on my companies web site.Every morning at work I fire up Mozilla. Upon starting, Moz' automatically contacts the webserver, requesting the home page (as per my configuration file).
If the document doesn't exist, then I'd be alerted to the error condition with a 404 message.
If the home page exists (as per my prefs.js config file), Moz' downloads the content, and chances are it stores the document in a datbase [it's cache].
Then Moz' analyzes the HTML content, repetitively executing more HTTP requests for any images, scripts, and other objects referenced in the HTML, because Moz's configuration file says to automatically get images.
If an image doesn't exist, I'm alerted to the problem with the generic-busted-graphic image.
Gosh-golly, it sure is nifty that Mozilla violates the First claim of the patent.
*sigh*
I guess it's gopher[?] [everything2.com] for everyone.