IBM vs. Amazon

Tim Bray:

The Internet has been amazingly quiet about IBM’s litigation against Amazon. It feels to me like maybe the biggest Internet story of, well, maybe, ever. I haven’t gone and read the IBM patents yet, because reading patents always depresses me. If the titles mean anything (not always a sure bet), this might mean that IBM has finally managed to figure out how to set up that Internet Tollbooth that we’ve always been afraid of.

Among the patents they’re claiming Amazon is infringing upon includes one titled “Ordering Items Using an Electronic Catalogue”.

I certainly can’t stand the idea of software competition being resolved (and eventually stymied) via patent litigation — but somehow I get the feeling that the company behind the infamous One-Click patent isn’t going to get much sympathy.

★ Tuesday, 24 October 2006