The big snake is eating itself. Or I fell for a prank.
That fictional storylines may be patentable was first suggested in a November, 2004 article in the Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society, “A Potentially New IP: Storyline Patents.” The article argues that binding case law strongly suggests that methods of performing and displaying fictional plots, whether found in motion pictures, novels, television shows, or commercials, are statutory subject matter, like computer software and business methods. ¹
Via JanneJalkanen. ²
A bit later I found a web site by “Knight and Associates” called http://www.plotpatents.com/. The article quoted above says “Andrew Knight will assert publication-based provisional patent rights against the entertainment industry.” I guess that’s his firm, then:
A consultant firm to help your company integrate valuable Storyline Patent protection into your portfolio of other IP protection; and A full-service patent prosecution firm to draft and prosecute patent applications on unique storylines, as well as innovations in the fields of mechanical devices, electrical devices, optical devices, medical devices, engines, software, business methods, gadgets, tools, toys, and other consumer products. ³
This *must* be a prank! The About Us section on the site seems to me to be just a little too juvenile...
If this is a prank, it was an awesome one!
PierreGaston was so nice as to forward me an article about patents from The Economist:
This survey will argue that, despite such adjustment problems, the huge changes in intellectual property currently taking place in the IT sector will in time produce more efficient markets. But what do the IT firms themselves make of it all? ⁴
#Patents