LXer: Free software group challenges educational software patent
 

Published at LXer:

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is going to review the patent held by e-learning software maker Blackboard Inc., in the wake of a challenge by a group advocating open source software. The USPTO responded Thursday to a November 2005 request from the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) for the review on behalf of three open source educational software projects. In granting the review, the Patent Office found that prior art cited in SFLC's request raises "a substantial new question of patentability" regarding all 44 claims of Blackboard's patent.[I used blackboard at ASU and its EULA was several pages long then, but patenting Teacher-to Students communication? That's over the top. - Scott]

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