SBC patents the wheel

[pll at lanminds.com]

In a message dated: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 19:59:02 EST
bscott at ntisys.com said:


>  You can view the actual patent (for a "Structured document browser",
>basically, hyperlinks) here:
>
>	http://makeashorterlink.com/?U1C831923
>
>  It is amusing to note that the patent browser at the target site appears
>to violate the patent.  :-)

Ahm, correct me if I'm wrong, by all means; but weren't hyperlinks 
basically invented in the 1950's or 1960's a very long time before 
the web?  Therefore, if the patent they have is based on prior art, 
doesn't it make their claim null and void?

Granted, their patent specifies a particular method of browsing a 
document, which is slightly different than saying the own a patent on 
hyperlinks (despite the fact that it amounts to the same thing).  
However, can't a prior art claim be made for this as well, simply by 
pointing the vast repository of archived web sites out there which 
existed prior to 1996?
-- 

Seeya,
Paul
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