"Amazon.com, Inc. Is About To Lose The Worst Patent Ever" (AMZN)

From LearnBonds, August 19:

Amazon.com, Inc.(NASDAQ:AMZN)  has shown time and time again that serious reform is needed in how the states regulate commerce. From its avoidance of sales taxes-something it finally gave up fully earlier this year-to its wily navigation of anti-trust law, the firm’s exploits are as insightful as they are attention grabbing. One of the worst ways the firm ever took advantage of the system, though, is soon going to be taken away.

Quartz’s Keith Collins reported on Saturday morning that the Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) patent on 1 Click buying is going to expire on September 11th. The firm applied for the patent in 1997 and it was granted in 1999. It doesn’t protect specific lines of code, or even a specific step by step approach to buying online. Instead it protects the general concept of buying something with just one click using pre-loaded payment and delivery details.

Amazon got the world’s worst patent
In the age of software design, patents are important but the system around them is cumbersome. The Amazon patent makes it costly for another other firm to adopt this part of the shopping experience. It certainly weighs in favor of Jeff Bezos firm, simply because they decided to patent it first.

Many firms have licensed the “technology” since the patent was granted. Apple is a famous example cited by Collins. The Quartz author also cites a legal case against Barnes and Noble over the book sellers use of a one click store design.

The problem with the 1 click patent, and this was deeply important when it was granted, is that it opens the door for a broad range of “ideas” to be patented. That’s something that appears to be negative to innovation rather than a guarantor of it....MORE