Comments on: Blackboard - patenting e-learning http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/ ... taking over the world like we always do! Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:49:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Pascal Klein http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-116 Pascal Klein Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:09:19 +0000 http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-116 Just sent them an email to get a response from them in regards to this. They claim I shall get a response in one business day. Just sent them an email to get a response from them in regards to this. They claim I shall get a response in one business day.

]]> By: Pascal Klein http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-115 Pascal Klein Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:53:33 +0000 http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-115 They installed those in over half of the classrooms at college here in Canberra and thus far teachers have accidentally mistaken them for ordinary whiteboards by writing on them (which is not the thing to do, but I don;t care). Teachers, I've found, aren't usually very technology savvy, so most don't use the boards. Waste of money, and yes, that is bloody ridiculous. They installed those in over half of the classrooms at college here in Canberra and thus far teachers have accidentally mistaken them for ordinary whiteboards by writing on them (which is not the thing to do, but I don;t care). Teachers, I’ve found, aren’t usually very technology savvy, so most don’t use the boards.

Waste of money, and yes, that is bloody ridiculous.

]]> By: Mike Carden http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-114 Mike Carden Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:42:30 +0000 http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-114 Point and laugh. Just point and laugh. Point and laugh. Just point and laugh.

]]> By: Nick http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-112 Nick Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:11:54 +0000 http://pipka.org/blog/2006/10/18/blackboard-patenting-e-learning/#comment-112 Based on a quick scan of http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=blackboard&s2=%22course+management%22&OS=blackboard+AND+ It would appear to me that they have sufficiently particular claims to be able to swat off some non-novelty accusations, but (not being a lawyer) I'm uneasy about their position with regards to the "inventive step" test. A mere agglomeration of components well understood by those skilled in the art to form a solution should not pass that test. 1 more drop in the ocean... the only hope is that it's not defensible, the establishment of which requires extensive time by an engineer who understands how patents work doing patent searchs and consultation with laywers. Based on a quick scan of
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=blackboard&s2=%22course+management%22&OS=blackboard+AND+
It would appear to me that they have sufficiently particular claims to be able to swat off some non-novelty accusations, but (not being a lawyer) I’m uneasy about their position with regards to the “inventive step” test. A mere agglomeration of components well understood by those skilled in the art to form a solution should not pass that test.

1 more drop in the ocean… the only hope is that it’s not defensible, the establishment of which requires extensive time by an engineer who understands how patents work doing patent searchs and consultation with laywers.

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