[Fsfe-ie] [ Tangential Info & Amusement ] Alert Austrialian VRTours Patent ???

[Adam Moran]

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.
> 
> -----
> 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/2004/1202/2003250595B2/2003250595.pdf
> 
> 
> 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