[Openstds] Another futile patent... and what to do with them

[Stephane Bortzmeyer]

I was recently informed of US patent 7,287,042
(http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,287,042.PN.&OS=PN/7,287,042&RS=PN/7,287,042)
which sets a new standard in futile patents, for including a search
string at the end of a URL without any special formatting (so,
http://www.searchengine.example/igf is now a patented way to write
http://www.searchengine.example/?query=igf).

I have always been concerned that, if we prohibit patented
technologies from free standards, such futile patents may block every
standard possible.