We may need to at least consider the possibility of an orderly transition to a bigger machine, just don’t know what that will cost yet. If that occurs, we’ll have to really rap about how to migrate safely and maybe at that point try to plan in more resiliency from the start.

BTW, it seems like we’re going to make another Digg front page. I’ll use Coral just in case.

IIRC, Apple went after her cuz she used black and white ads similar to the dancing sillhouette ads they had for the iPod at the time.

And if Im not wrong the word iPhone was used by some company for some kind of wireless VOIP handset I believe.

It seems that the language skills at Apple are sorely lacking.

Ok, let the fanbois now foam at the mouth now that ive insulted their precious.

I have an idea for a web service and I like the name MobileMe, I presume Apple wont have any problems if I borrow this name.

No, that sounds like a small project (or even a weekly assignment) in an undergraduate feedback/controls engineering course.

Maybe Apple engineers reminisce for the college days. Or maybe they skipped out.

>> Earlier, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) opened the patent examination process for online public participation .. enables the public to submit prior art and commentary .. in Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security.

Finding prior art saves USPTO face and saves money of those attacking. Why would I want to contribute to that and waste my time and money doing so?

What is prior art after all? That someone published their solution 1 year ahead of you instead of 1 year after? Why would the government grant a 20 year monopoly on this sort of foolishness?

Software patents are so messed up and this is the best they can come up with for reform?

All the more reason I worry about this http://boycottnovell.com/2009/02/04/the-api-trap-part-1/ despite Bilski.

>> “…Folks, it’s not the ideas; it’s design, implementation, and especially hard work that make the difference.”

Ideas are important but 20 year monopolies? Any length monopoly seems wrong, at least for fields with low costs to invent, develop, etc (as is the case for software, as demonstrated through FOSS).

Those that have great ideas have a lot of time to work on their solution ahead of everyone else. They can be first to market and enjoy those advantages.

Even if you could find some cases where you might think some length of monopoly might be acceptable, our current system is so far from that. We’ve been so unable to get it right. Every day we continue down the same path, so far away from the perfect balance, is another day of damage inflicted on everyone besides the monopolists.

And what about all the contributions given by FOSS to the community? Not only are the implementations more useful than the ideas alone, but much that would qualify for patents aren’t exploited by the FOSS world, yet others can track FOSS development from the sidelines and then jump out a little ahead of them to block them off from the next stage of development in the most natural direction. Talk about a real loss to society and to innovators!

Maybe we should start giving patents for innovation in arguing and executing court cases and settlements. IP lawyers need a small taste of their medicine.

Oh, and actions taken by CEO’s and board of directors should also be patented.

>> With such an extensive arsenal of patents, backed by unlimited legal funds – what chances are left for the VC backed company?

Wait. Maybe to stifle competition is the point of accumulating patents.

Eureka! I can’t believe it took us this long to discover the raison d’etre of the patent system.

Wow! Now all the madness can end.

Stop the presses! Get the word out. Lawmakers will be shocked. Quick before more damage is done. Perhaps this nightmare will all be over by next week. [I'm so glad I visited boycottnovell for this inspiration.]