From: Jonathan Corbet <corbet-rb_at_lwn.net>
Date: Fri, 05 May 2006 10:12:28 -0600

John Bauman <john_at_baumanfamily.com> wrote:

> Here's a new patent that Apple just received that I think people here
> (especially blind users) might find interesting:
> http://tinyurl.com/qwzux

Interesting indeed. I'm well into an article about this one.

Reading the patent, though, I am struck by something: my company had a
voice mail system which did all of that (at least, as described in the
independent claims) at least fifteen years ago. There is nothing (in
the *independent* claims) which says that the "computing device" has to
be a portable media player. Now, when you add the dependent claims
("song titles" and such), you are starting to get more specific.

This application can maybe be killed - but only if somebody makes an
effort to do that. Maybe I'll drop a note to a couple of folks.

jon
Received on 2006-05-05