Progress Report and Discussion about patents

1. Write the progress report on your website project. If your website needs a new content developed, then include the outline of the new content, and the timeline of the development. If your website is a hub/portal of existing contents, then include the list of contents you will include and the selection criteria, i.e. how you chose these contents.

A General Introduction to Communicating over the Internet

Browser Setup

1) Main browsers in use today and their special features

- Chrome's in bar site search

- Opera's built in bittorent client

2) Addons within browsers which could be useful to users

Services that are useful for communicating and sharing

Applications

1) Skype, MSN Messenger, AOL Messenger etc...

2) Any others

Web services

1) Twitter, Facebook, Google+ etc...

2) Meebo, Ebuddy etc...

3) Any others

2. Read sections 5-9 in About "trivial" software patents: the isnot case and Apple's Slide to Unlock Patent: Yes, the Patent System Needs Reform. Do you think this patent is trivial or not? Explain your reasoning.

I think this patent is trivial. The idea of a slide to unlock button is one that has existed before, as shown in the link included in the article. This shows that prior art has existed and so granting this pattern could be harmful for further development.

in our in class discussions, we discussed on whether software should be granted patents or copyright. We came to the conclusion that a complex and original idea, such as a new algorithm, or a new encoding method should be patented, while the implementation of such software be copyrighted.

In the Apple Slide to Unlock patent case, the idea of unlocking by sliding a bar or swiping something on the touchpad is not original and somewhat obvious. It is not a complex idea, and as such should not be granted a patent.