[wellylug] FW: [public-discuss] NZ Patent 505284

Klenner, Colin colin.klenner at eds.com
Wed Jul 9 08:09:40 NZST 2003


-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Shearer [mailto:richard at webfarm.co.nz]
Sent: Tuesday, 8 July 2003 15:21
To: public-discuss at internetnz.net.nz
Subject: [public-discuss] NZ Patent 505284


A matter of concern for all NZ eCommerce businesses

A patent has been granted to DE Technologies (NZ Patent 505284) that if
sustained will effectively kill eCommerce in NZ. The patent has also been
granted in USA (6,460,020) and Singapore (74390).

The patent covers the following (extract from patent) among other things...

1. Determining a language for the display product information, and
determining a currency for pricing;
1.1. Receiving a customer's selection of at least one product and product
destination then accessing a database to find at least one of:
1.2 Pricing information; 
1.3 Product Codes, from an international goods classification system; and/or

1.4 Transportation information relating to the point of origin and
destination;
1.5. Calculating the costs involved in moving the selected product to its
destination;
1.6. Receiving an order for a product, thus triggering electronic
confirmation of the availability of customer funds; and
1.7. Upon confirmation of funds, generating an electronic title, having the
content of the commercial invoice to define ownership and facilitate
delivery of the product to its destination.

You can check out the full patent 505284 at www.iponz.govt.nz

One of our customers was today issued a notice threatening an injunction to
stop them from trading for infringement of this patent. Clearly there would
be a large number of eCommerce websites in NZ that would also be infringing
this patent in fact almost any website that either calculates prices,
calculates deliver costs, or uses multi-currency services such as the
WorldPay service that WebFarm offers.

In fact the notice goes on to say that hosting or ISP companies are also
covered under this patent in that we must purchase a licence to the patent
for US$ 25k.

So if sustained, this patent would effectively kill eCommerce in NZ and
possibly other countries.  We think this patent is absurd as the ideas
behind the patent are hardly unique.

The patent has been created by: 

http://www.detechnologies.com/press/release-2002-10-01.htm
http://www.detechnologies.com/company.htm
http://www.detechnologies.com/services.htm

I recall the Co-Founder and CEO of DE Technologies, Ed Pool was associated
with some attempt to get Industry NZ funding to set up some kind of IT park
in Queenstown.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=technology&thesubsecti
on=&storyID=201717

The customer this threat has been served on has no means to contest this in
the high court so will rely on media pressure, government involvement and
the hope that sanity will prevail.

Are any of the legal minds on this list interested in getting involved?



Regards
Richard Shearer
www.webfarm.co.nz
www.freeparking.co.nz
Tel: +64 6 7572881
Fax: +64 6 7572883 



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