Patently Silly

Sean Gillies

2006-07-20 00:00

Via All Points Blog: are all geo patents this dubious?

21. A storage medium for storing computer code to encode a computer system that plots a boundary on a map from a metes and bounds description and to generate latitude and longitude coordinates of corner points of said boundary by performing the following steps: generating bearing and distance information with respect to the location of a cursor on said map; displaying said bearing and distance information; using said bearing and distance information to generate said boundary from a metes and bounds description; generating UTM coordinates from said boundary; generating latitude and longitude coordinates from said UTM coordinates.

22. An electrical signal for encoding a computer system to plot a boundary on a map from a metes and bounds description and to generate latitude and longitude coordinates of corner points of said boundary by performing the following steps: generating bearing and distance information with respect to the location of a cursor on said map; displaying said bearing and distance information; using said bearing and distance information to generate said boundary from a metes and bounds description; generating UTM coordinates from said boundary; generating latitude and longitude coordinates from said UTM coordinates.

They invented a new storage medium and a new electrical signal? I'm a bit skeptical.

Comments

Re: Patently Silly

Author: Frank

Actually, it's all PATENTS that are this dubious. They write them as broadly as possible, but they're not claiming to have invented every element in the entire patent. Often, it's the combination of non-patented items in what the "inventor" thinks is a new way that constitutes the invention. Usually, the listing section lists all the required elements of the invention. For a Franklin stove (which Franklin never patented), you would describe the legs and the chimney, which have always been part of stoves, as well as the improved metallurgy and ventilation, which were the innovations the Franklin stove introduced.