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May 19, 2006
U.S. Patent Office re-examines Amazon's 'One Click' patent
Dated: May 18, 2006
SOURCE: Seattle Post (reprinted from AP)
SEATTLE -- At the request of a New Zealand actor upset about a slow book delivery, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is re-examining Amazon.com's patent for "1-Click" online shopping, which allows pre-registered users to buy items with a single click of the mouse.
Actor Peter Calveley sought the reconsideration in documents filed in February, pointing out that a patent for similar technology was issued in March 1998, about 18 months before Amazon's. The Patent Office agreed last week that Calveley had raised a substantial question about the appropriateness of Amazon's patent, documents posted on its Web site show.
Calveley wrote on his blog that his crusade is revenge for an "annoyingly slow" book delivery from Amazon. He used the blog to raise the $2,520 reexamination fee.
Amazon's patent was highly controversial during the tech boom of the late 1990s, when several other online businesses claimed it was overly broad and that the technology wasn't very original. In 1999, Amazon obtained an injunction that forced rival bookseller barnesandnoble.com to go to two clicks - first on the item, then a separate click that confirmed the customer wanted to buy it. That case was eventually settled out of court.
For the full article, click here.
Posted by andrewanissi at May 19, 2006 12:21 PM