Patent troll claims ownership of interactive Web—and might win

[Concerned User]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...-might-win.ars

Michael Doyle, a low-profile Chicago biologist, claims that it was actually he and two co-inventors who invented—and patented—the "interactive web" before anyone else, while they were employed by the University of California back in 1993. Doyle argues that a program he created at the UC’s San Francisco campus, which allowed doctors to view embryos over the nascent World Wide Web, was the first program that allowed users to interact with images inside of a Web browser window. The defendants hotly contest that, saying that it was programs like Pei-Yuan Wei's pioneering Viola that first offered this functionality.

Today, Doyle and his lawyers say he’s owed royalty payments for the use of a stunning array of modern Web technologies. Watching online video, having a "search suggestion" pop up in a search bar, or even rotating an image of a sweater you might want to buy on an online shopping site—all are said to infringe on the idea-space of Doyle and his company, Eolas Technologies.

The Register has the same thing here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02...t_claim_adobe/

Tom's guide has a much more straightforward story without too much of technical stuff:

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Patent-i...ews-14129.html




Further proof that the current patent system is broken, obsolete and needs a desperate overhaul. If they win, it's going to be a whole lot of fun and they will be paid royalties by each and every "big" and "small" tech company out there.......

[Remah]

It could only happen in the US legal system.