Comments on: Sun's Schwartz guns for patent glories

As the tech industry focuses in on patents, Sun files a claim over a per-employee pricing plan, News.com has learned.

[hadaso]

Isn't this the same as "all you can eat"?

Isn't this the same as "all you can eat"? You charge per head and then all the family consumes as much as they can or need.

The patent system is degrading by patenting every new obvious use of existing ideas. COntinuing this way it would soon just be ignored. Can anyone keep track of these stupid patents? Does one need to chack if any routine action might already be patented (thus needs licencing?)

Perhaps I can patent "a method and apparatus to obtain a right to charge license fees on obvious ideas and business methods"?

[dpierce]

Employee or User pricing not new and should not qualify for patent

I find interesting the idea that a software company is trying to
patent a pricing model that is a variation of an old theme. After
Spending 20 years selling software and now helping companies
license software, the model that Sun is trying to patent is not
new.
Companies that license software today need to make sure that
the patent office look at all of the exisiting models developed by
other licensees of software and the may venders of software.
Many companies today use custom models for software licenses
based on the number of employees or users. It is clear that the
Sun model is another variation and should not be subject to
patent status.
I can only hope that some smart CIO or Asset Management
specialist stands up and says enough. Gartner Group and Meta
should also work to put a stop to this nonsense. These to
organizations have put out many ideas on software pricing
models and continue to provide clients with ideas everyday.
Even my small company does the same. We provide unique
pricing models but they are all variations of exisiting ideas that
are designed to meet a specific licensees needs.

[tcgathens]

Was This Patent Applied For with a Straight Face?

IBM/Lotus has offered per user pricing for years, Sun come late to the "innovation" and has the audacity to apply for a patent? You know, maybe they are onto something. I just offered a 10% sale to people who buy software that have any letter of the alphabet in their last name. I better go file for that patent right now:-).

Christopher Byrne, IBM CAAD/CASA
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http://www.controlscaddy.com/