Open Sources | Rodrigues & Urlocker » IBM's Outsourcing Patent Application Withdrawn

October 11, 2007 | Comments: (0)

IBM's Outsourcing Patent Application Withdrawn

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Net/Net: The patent application for "outsourcing of services" was filed 8 months before a new IBM policy to reduce business method patents. This one slipped through the cracks of the "new policy". Our bad.

Via Bob Sutor's blog (oldish news):

"IBM has put into the public domain and withdrawn its application for patent number US2007/0162321 - Outsourcing of Services. This patent application covers analyzing work flows, skills, economic costs, etc. Here’s why we are withdrawing it — IBM adopted a new policy a year ago to sharply reduce business method patent filings and instead stress significant technical content in its patents. Even though the patent application in question was filed eight months before the policy took effect in September, 2006, had the policy been in place at the time, IBM would not have filed the application. We’re glad the community pointed this application out so IBM could take swift action."

Two IBM posts in a row...sorry. I thought you'd want to know that we (as is the case with most vendors) generally listen to the community. We (as in all vendors) may not always act, but we listen.

PS: I should state: "The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions."

Posted by Savio Rodrigues on October 11, 2007 08:56 AM

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