   News: Computer solitare patent?
  IANAL, and I expect to see many IANAL statements if I get any replies... but isn''t there some sort of law against patenting something that''s allready been created by someone else? Checking the patents linked to by the news article, it would seem the earliest one dates back to 1998 - I believe Microsoft''s solitare predates this?Someone point Microsoft to this, quick! They''ve got hoards of lawyers... I bet they can sue, and if they can''t, I''m sure they''ll sue anyways ;-).Seriously though. Checking the about tab on solitare shows:Microsoft (R) SolitaireVersion 5.0 (Build 2195)Copyright (C) 1981-1999 Microsoft Corp.Developed for Microsoft by Wes Cherry... damnit I realize now, this was all just a trap. A trap to get me playing solitare again. Must... resist... cards... have... homework...!   -Mike 
  I see nothing there about a patent.  Either you aren''t providing all your sources, or you are wrong.CM ;You''re all wrong. ;quote:Original post by Conner McCloud  I see nothing there about a patent.  Either you aren''t providing all your sources, or you are wrong.CM   http://www.gamedev.net/Under ''A Patent on Soliraire? The hell?'' click on the link with the text ''blog''Brings you to: http://www.asharewarelife.com/quote:Saturday, January 31, 2004 Computer Solitaire Patented: Patently RidiculousMy company has received the following letter from a law firm claiming to have a client that has patented computer solitaire. And by extension, all computer card games.I am not kidding.The patents in question are 5,823,879, 6,183,366, and 6,264,560.The numbers are hyperlinks. They are clickable.Clicking them brings up patent info.I did a search for solitare on the forums, but I must''ve not specified ''all forums'' as I didn''t see the one linked by cowsarenotevil.Only a only slihgtly related note, I have been freed from solitare by winning a game (finally, with the 3 cards mode and all the evilness). ;quote:Original post by MaulingMonkey  http://www.gamedev.net/Under ''A Patent on Soliraire? The hell?'' click on the link with the text ''blog''Brings you to: http://www.asharewarelife.com/quote:Saturday, January 31, 2004 Computer Solitaire Patented: Patently RidiculousMy company has received the following letter from a law firm claiming to have a client that has patented computer solitaire. And by extension, all computer card games.I am not kidding.The patents in question are 5,823,879, 6,183,366, and 6,264,560.The numbers are hyperlinks. They are clickable.Clicking them brings up patent info.None of that has anything to do with Microsoft.  Patents are like trademarks: you have to ask for one or you don''t get it.  The fact that MS created solitaire first doesn''t give them any right to sue this guy.  It just makes that guy''s patent unenforceable.CM ;quote:Original post by Conner McCloud  The fact that MS created solitaire first doesn''t give them any right to sue this guy.  It just makes that guy''s patent unenforceable.CM   But then this guy can still sue everyone and all his victims have to pay expensive lawyers right? ;  Damnit. Stupid US patent office. Where else can you can tack "on a computer" to mundane things like "playing cards", and make it a patent? ;  The problem is that the patent office needs to increase staff to about 10 times the current number, so they have time to actually check for ''prior art''. Also, I don''t think everybody they try to sue would have to pay for lawyers, just the first one. After that, the patent should become null (since it was never valid in the first place) and both sides lose.It''d be interesting to take a patent, change a few words, alter the diagrams a little, and try to get the patent on it. I wonder if they even check if one patent covers the same thing as a previous. ;quote:Original post by Andrew Russell  Damnit. Stupid US patent office. Where else can you can tack "on a computer" to mundane things like "playing cards", and make it a patent?   I have to wonder if this is a problem isolated to computers, or whether it happens to every major invention.Were there lots of patents for "Playing solitare in an automobile"? "Playing solitare in a plane"? Methinks I should get ahead of the pack (no pun intended) and patent "Playing solitare in a space ship" while I still can.Actually, playing cards in space would be tricky, you''d need some sort of magnetic cards to stop them floating away./me rushes down to the patent office with magnetic playing cards 