I have violated Patent 7,000,180. So, arrest me.
Posted by: Shrikant Joshi in General, Opinions, Web 2.0Information Week reports:
A patent has been granted to a relatively unknown California Web-design firm for an invention its creator says covers the design and creation of most rich-media applications used over the Internet. The patent holder, Balthaser Online Inc., says it could license nearly any rich-media Internet application across a broad range of devices and networks.
In simple words, this page, and this page and this one and this one and this one - you get the drift - are in violation of the United States Patent Law (direct link to PDF).
Oh and by the way, no use yelling now. The patent’s already been issued - on Valentine’s day. Lovely, eh?
The Patent applicant (now owner) claims everything from creating users for media-rich applications to maintaining them on hosting services. Which essentially means that if you are using Flash, Flex, Java, AJAX and XAML on your site, you gotta pay these guys.
And they don’t even have their names on the first page of Google Search results, sheesh!!
If you are wondering why nobody ever knew about this coup d’état, I recommend you run a quick eye through the Patent. The references are so subtle it would take a keen-eye to spot them. But, the references are there. All references to rich media and the explanations thereof, point clearly to the various rich-media enablers described early on in this post.
The A-list bloggers might recall the name of Neil Balthaser. He was declared a DEMOgod in the 2001 DEMO conference for the Flash-based website builder Pro:Fx.
Flash-based? Erm, back in my days, this was called hypocrisy. But then, the world has changed now, After all this is the Web 2.0, right?
I, for one, am looking forward to this conversation in particular…
With my ear-drums well-protected, of course. 
(Not to be taken seriously)
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February 26th, 2006 at 9:15 am
While there is no doubt this patent was issued, as an attorney I am certain that if it is unfair, and it appears to be, there will be a cause of action filed in Federal District Court asking for it to be declared null and void. Just look at the current case involving RIM vs NPT’s patents, some of which have been rejected.
February 27th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Thanks Mr. Anon!
What I don’t understand however, is the following:
1. Is there any limit on the time after the patent is issued, witin which one can lodge an objection?
2. If I violate such a ‘patent’, do I have any recourse in law, so that I do not wrongfully suffer?