Below are some recent snippets from nntp://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.panotools who have a patent issue of their own:

10/05/05 14:12 Dave 360texas.com wrote:

Due to its preceived importance - comment cross posted to many forums.

Received this email from one of my Australian friends today:

Ever heard of an Aussie Virtual Tour company called, "Pro Active Tours"?

http://www.proactivetours.com.au/

They have Patent No 2003250595 "Interactive Property Tour"

A system for creating a web based tour for an item of interest characterised in that it includes the steps of: -establish a tour identity -associating one or more reference images with the tour identity -positioning one or more reference icons on one or more of the said reference images, each said reference icons being associated with a further reference image -and wherein a position of each said reference icons is selected to provide information relating to said further reference image

A friend of mine doing Virtual Tours in Melbourne has received a letter from a law firm from this virtual tour company, claiming he owes them money from March 2004 for all the work he has placed online.

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While their links are to single images, this technique could affect people who link to panoramas too.

10/05/05 14:42 steven morton wrote:

I suggest everyone should look at:

http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/aub/pdf/nps/2004/1202/2003250595B2/200325...

And in particular look at page 2 - World Patent Application

How the hell did the Australian Patent Office let this one get through???

How many years ago did Apple produce that VR tour example of a store with the original/first QuickTime VR release? DEFINITELY prior art!!! That MUST pre-date this feeble patent by yonks!!!

I just don't believe it... !?!?!?

10/05/05 15:25 Rick Drew wrote:

I read an article a few years back - Australia's Patent office is a joke - the laughingstock of the world patent offices. Someone was able to patent the wheel. He also submitted applications for light and water. The patent office was still considering the light and water applications when the article was written. His next patents were going to be for air and gravity.

His patent for the wheel is still valid!

10/05/05 19:55 Romuald/hd wrote:

I hardly believed about the wheel but ok, here it is http://apa.hpa.com.au:8080/ipapa/iv_pdf?report=ipapa&index=1&doc=1517082

10/05/05 16:11 panoramicsdk wrote:

The US patent office is not better. 5 year old boy patents the swing http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2178

10/05/05 16:58 Luca Vascon wrote:

This brave new world says that if you can invest enough money you are true. A nice solution would be a global panographer/content development organization that protect our rights. A kind of organization against fraud legitimation and misuse of patents in content developing...

10/05/05 15:38 Mark D. Fink wrote:

I think I'll move to Australia and patent the patent process. Then I could sue them for all the patents they have issued in the past! :o)

12/05/05 14:27 Giorgio Marchetto wrote:

I cannot believe it too, but it's true! What a sh.. world! I suggest a common action (including QTVR associations) against the Australian Patent Office and this "Pro Active Tours" company. Not thinking to a difficult and expensive legal action which requires money, but a media action, a petition or something else to tell our angry answer to this absurd patent. For example, we can send tons and tons of emails of protest to them.

-- Adam M