On Wed, 13 Oct 1999, Timothy Bates wrote:
>
> Re: Amazon's 1-Click Shopping patent
>
> Do you reall ythink that the idea of clicking a button to buy something
> needs patent protection for someone to invent it?
>
The difference is in shifting the cost of patent enforcement from the competitor to the consumer where he can see it (and pays for it with his time). Most producers have to license the patents because it is required for them to stay in business in a competitive arena but when you can use a patent against the patent holder via forcing the costs to the purchaser level then you have a very different game.
Patents are of little use if there are easy ways around them.
Robert