EP1022875
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Push network
Advice on the reading of patent specifications:
- The decisive element are the claims, as they specify which actions are forbidden within the framework
of the patent.
- Violating one single claim is sufficient to be considered a patent violation. Generally,
claim number 1 is the decisive main claim which covers all other
claims relating to special cases.
- The description is intended to help the reader interpret the claim. At the same
time, it is supposed to document and disclose the details of the
invention. This disclosure is the original purpose of the entire
patent system.
- In practice, a patent specification contains no detailed information on how the patented procedure could be implemented (even if the patent
owner allowed the implementation). In particular, a software
patent contains no program code (reference implementation), but
merely describes the idea of a software.
Patented idea: Transferring pieces of information where they belong.
Main claim: Adding to an information packet a "content identifier" and/or a "category identifier" which is used to decide which destination the packet is delivered
to.
Further claims: The 44 claims cover nearly all sorts of aspects of multi-user
communication.
- Waiver of "catogory-identifier"
- Usage of a table, which specifies who is receiving which
information
- Users sign in the table and sign themselves out in different ways
- Automatic deletion of unused delivery rules according to various
criteria
- Dynamic routing
- Avoidance of loops
- Buffering packages that cannot be delivered immediately
- Hierarchical structure
- Recalling information from the server, possibly filtering
according to content and/or category
- Selective release of informationen on the server
Description: According to the patent specification the difference to existing
networks is that the receiver determines whether an information
packet is delivered in the first place, while in the case of the
internet the IP-address of the information packages is specified. In
this respect the patent description defines existing networks as
unsuitable for "push-services", while the "invention" solves the problem.
Everyday parallel:
- At an information stand there are presented brochures. An
interested person tells the owner of the stand which topics ("category-identifiers") she is interested in. By the act of giving ("delivering") the brochures to the person as requested, the owner of the stand
is infringing the main claim.
- Subscriptions of newspapers, magazines, catalogues, etc.
Examples for patent infringement:
- Mailing-lists
- Internet-panels
- Usenet news
- The mailbox-systems (including UUCP) which existed before
emergence of the internet,
- The TCP-Portnumber is also a "category-identifier". In this respect every packet filter (firewall) infringes the
main claim.
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