Broad US Patent Issued For All Rich Media Applications
 

A patent has been granted to a relatively unknown California Web-design firm for an invention its creator says covers the design and creation of most rich-media applications used over the Internet. The patent holder, Balthaser Online Inc., says it could license nearly any rich-media Internet application across a broad range of devices and networks.

Potentially tens of thousands of businesses--not only software makers employing its business processes but companies offering rich-media on their Websites--could be subject to licensing fees when they use rich-media technology over the Internet.

The patent--issued on Valentine's Day--covers all rich-media technology implementations, including Flash, Flex, Java, Ajax, and XAML, when the rich-media application is accessed on any device over the Internet, including desktops, mobile devices, set-top boxes, and video game consoles, says inventor Neil Balthaser, CEO of Balthaser Online, which he owns with his father Ken. "You can consider it a pioneering or umbrella patent. The broader claim is one that basically says that if you got a rich Internet application, it is covered by this patent."

Rich media is a broad range of interactive digital media that display dynamic motion, exploiting enhanced sensory traits such as video, audio and animation.

"It's kind of unbelievable that [the patent] has such a wide ranging use because it covers so many technologies," says Bola Rotibi, a senior analyst at Ovum, an IT advisory firm in London. If the patent is enforced broadly, she says, "anybody who does anything with rich applications will have to pay royalties to the company."

The patent, No. 7,000,180 or 180 for short, is entitled Methods, Systems, And Processes For The Design And Creation Of Rich-Media Applications Via The Internet. It contains 83 claims that encompass a wide range of rich-media Net application methods, systems, and processes.

How broad is the patent? Here's what the patent abstract says it covers: A host computer, containing processes for creating rich-media applications, is accessed from a remote user computer system via an Internet connection. User account information and rich-media component specifications are uploaded over the Internet for a specific user account. Rich-media applications are created, deleted, or modified in a user account, with rich-media components added to, modified in, or deleted from the rich-media application based on information contained in a user request. After creation, the rich-media application is viewed or saved on the host computer system, or downloaded to the user computer system over the Internet.

:helpme

oh boy here we go again. :mad:

How's that even possible? I would imagine most if not all of those apps have been in existence before valentines day.. I

the rich get richer...

I have found actual video from the patent office.....

http://www.careerbuilder.com/tv/Defa...193993361-RW-1

Well ain't that some bullshit...Fucking scumbags

Here is more actual footage from the patent office....

http://img.icbdr.com/media/tv/com_ce...elebration.wmv

bullshit...

what the fuck

That guy is going to be rich.......always companies that will settle

back to animated gifs!

This patent is for the creation of "rich media" application via a website.

in my readings, this patent will only affect those that have some kind of web-based application that allows a person to assemble various pieces (ie. music, video, text) etc to make an interactive web interface.

most designers build their "rich media" stuff on their computer and upload it to the server. the "novelty" of this patent is that you can do it via the website.

myspace.com may be considered to be under this patent since they are homepage tools to allow people to add elements to their myspace page.

i'm not worried about this patent.

Fight the Patent!

fuck em in the ass

They do make some of the best site ive seen. cant believe they havent updated their own website in years

too broad and frivolous

Getting a patent is one thing. Defending it in court sucessfully is quite another.

Sorry for the double post.

Funny how this slipped quietly through on Valentine's Day...
This guy might as well have patented the internet, this is a joke.

Btw, what ever happened to Acacia? Their patent was an equally fictitious document meant for the purposes of extortion.

NO shit..........I wonder if the IDIOTS at the patent office have 2 brains to rub together:Oh crap

Looking at the track record of the govt recently, I don't think you can expect much from the hundreds of thousands of technology based patent apps they are overwhelmed with.

One of the biggest problems is you have to write a patent app in extremely techno verbage. So even sophisticated and ultra bright people have to read through several times to grasp the concept being claimed.

Jesus fucking christ!

KRL do you have a link to that article?

sorry - googled it... http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/2/emw349397.htm

This covers creation of rich media over an online interface - myspace, yourthemannowdog, lots of do it yourself banner shops, etc.

Shouldn't have that big of an impact.

FUCK the PTO is SO inconsistent.

Ideally the USPO should have a qualified intellectual property and patent lawyer, it would save them a lot of time and put less burden on the courts. But hell they just collect non-refundable patent application fees regardless of whether a patent is frivolous or not.

Bumping this quote, because it sounds more "correct" than other assumptions in this thread.

I have an expanded version of my opinon on this patent on my website, copy/pasted here for the link challenged :


23-Feb-06: Another Acacia wannabe

A patent entitled " Methods, systems, and processes for the design and creation of rich-media applications via the internet " was granted on Feb 14, 2006 (filed in Feb 2001).

From an Information Week article covering this story:

The patent--issued on Valentine's Day--covers all rich-media technology implementations, including Flash, Flex, Java, Ajax, and XAML, when the rich-media application is accessed on any device over the Internet, including desktops, mobile devices, set-top boxes, and video game consoles, says inventor Neil Balthaser, CEO of Balthaser Online, which he owns with his father Ken. "You can consider it a pioneering or umbrella patent. The broader claim is one that basically says that if you got a rich Internet application, it is covered by this patent."

Oh really?

The Patent is #7,00,180 with the patent here.

"Neil Balthaser, a former VP of strategy for Macromedia, the developer of the Flash rich-media development environment and player, now owned by Adobe, says he will most likely sell the patent rather than enforce it himself. He says he's discussing the sale of the patent to "top-tier players. I don't want to name them but they're fairly obvious, the guys who are investing a lot of money in this rich Internet applications field. They got a lot invested, or they're going to be investing a lot. Anyone of those companies would definitely benefit by controlling a patent like this, both defensively and potentially offensively, and the ability to sublicense it, and make some return on their investment."

In reading the actual patent, rather than the wide-eyed, hopeful interpretations by the inventor and their patent attorney, my conclusions:

This patent is for the creation of "rich media" application via a website.

In my readings, this patent will only affect those that have some kind of web-based application that allows a person to assemble various pieces (ie. music, video, text) etc to make an interactive web interface.

Most designers build their "rich media" stuff on their computer and upload it to the server. the "novelty" of this patent is that you can do it via the website.

myspace.com may be considered to be under this patent since they are homepage tools to allow people to add elements to their myspace page.

If you were to believe the quotes attributed to Mr. Balthaser, you might think he invented "rich media" website. His experience at Macromedia probably led him to the idea that as he saw web designers create these "rich media" websites on their desktop, that it might be novel and interesting to have that abilty to be done via a website.

An investigation for prior art into areas like online e-greeting cards that allowed for "rich media" creation of a card by adding music, text, etc.. could be an area to explore.

While this patent is broadly written, it's not as crazy as Acacia's belief that Yurt and Brown invented the process of downloading audio/video from a website.

I think Acacia should acquire this patent and continue on with the delusions of the inventor.

Most websites use web designers who create the "rich media" websites on their own computers, so this patent covers a small universe of potential infringers, assuming that no prior out can be found.

If this were a broad patent that covered all websites, alot of us amateur prior art searchers would be digging for prior art, but as I see it now.. *yawn*.


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Fight the reprint!

Nope. Al Gore has the patent on the Interweb.

Are you sure he didnt forget to file the application? :1orglaugh