It is sad to see a once proud company such as Yahoo circling the drain. They are grasping at straws. Even if Facebook is forced to issue them stock prior to the IPO or settle for cash, they have ruined their relationship. Facebook has many apps promoting Yahoo and you have to think that will change in the future. Yahoo is biting the hand currently feeding it in hopes of lasting a year longer. Their ultimate demise is unpreventable, which is sad. It is even more sad to see them take swings at other successful sites as they are going down though.
Software patents, business model patents, and patents on things occurring in the natural world (such as gene sequences) must be invalidated in their entirety. Abstract ideas are not patentable. So why are abstract ideas that are simply on the internet afforded patent status?
It is sad to see a once proud company such as Yahoo circling the drain. They are grasping at straws. Even if Facebook is forced to issue them stock prior to the IPO or settle for cash, they have ruined their relationship. Facebook has many apps promoting Yahoo and you have to think that will change in the future. Yahoo is biting the hand currently feeding it in hopes of lasting a year longer. Their ultimate demise is unpreventable, which is sad. It is even more sad to see them take swings at other successful sites as they are going down though.
Those who cannot innovate, litigate.
Software patents, business model patents, and patents on things occurring in the natural world (such as gene sequences) must be invalidated in their entirety. Abstract ideas are not patentable. So why are abstract ideas that are simply on the internet afforded patent status?
Here is an interesting paper on the topic of why software startups mathematically MUST infringe on software patents in order to innovate; it is mathematically impossible for them to do otherwise– http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2016968&http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2016968
It’s almost refreshing to see Facebook wrapped up in a legal battle that *isn’t* over privacy laws…