Linked List: patented?

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 19 Mar 2007, 16:47

Patent 7028023 wrote:computerized list is provided with auxiliary pointers for traversing the list in different sequences. One or more auxiliary pointers enable a fast, sequential traversal of the list with a minimum of computational time. Such lists may be used in any application where lists may be reordered for various purposes

...

that they can get away with it is even funnier... clearly, the patent system is going strong...

Moses · Post by **Moses** » 19 Mar 2007, 18:00

I don't think there are more than 5 people on this forum who know what a linked-list is.

zerubabel · Post by **zerubabel** » 19 Mar 2007, 18:04

Hman · Post by **Hman** » 19 Mar 2007, 18:05

I'm not one them.

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 19 Mar 2007, 18:18

@moses: more's the pity...

cracked me up badly...

my fifo stack patent should be approved soon...

DarkStar · Post by **DarkStar** » 19 Mar 2007, 18:37

Moses wrote:I don't think there are more than 5 people on this forum who know what a linked-list is.

Well, I'm one of them.

Any one care to enlighten me?

Ike · Post by **Ike** » 19 Mar 2007, 20:17

I'm going to patent the doggy style sex position! then WW2 and salami! mhuhahaha!

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 19 Mar 2007, 20:21

Any one care to enlighten me?

It's a structure with a pointer to a structure of the same type. So basically, a list that allows you to modify the list by changing the pointer (data with a memory location) inside individual records instead of having to completely restructure the list like you would do with an array. It is used in a lot of software.

So patenting it would be the equivalent of someone today trying to patent a nut or bolt. The people who awarded that patent obviously don't know anything about linked lists. Any cases will be thrown out of court.

Hman · Post by **Hman** » 20 Mar 2007, 08:21

In that case I'm going to patent the sun.

thealluseless · Post by **thealluseless** » 20 Mar 2007, 08:32

man, i am gonna get sued for almost every prog i wrote in varsity.

viceroy · Post by **viceroy** » 20 Mar 2007, 10:05

Hex_Rated wrote:
Any one care to enlighten me?
It's a structure with a pointer to a structure of the same type. So basically, a list that allows you to modify the list by changing the pointer (data with a memory location) inside individual records instead of having to completely restructure the list like you would do with an array. It is used in a lot of software.

So patenting it would be the equivalent of someone today trying to patent a nut or bolt. The people who awarded that patent obviously don't know anything about linked lists. Any cases will be thrown out of court.

Anyone wanna take a bet that if there are any cases based on this MS will be the first to be sued

thealluseless · Post by **thealluseless** » 20 Mar 2007, 10:15

Anyone wanna take a bet that if there are any cases based on this MS will be the first to be sued

anyone stupid enough to patent this will prb be stupid enough to sue Ms. Should be amusing for us,

SoulBlade · Post by **SoulBlade** » 20 Mar 2007, 13:27

LL patented? No ****.

I remember it fondly from my C++ days. Will I never do it again.

Hex_Rated · Post by **Hex_Rated** » 20 Mar 2007, 13:37

anyone stupid enough to patent this will prb be stupid enough to sue Ms. Should be amusing for us,

Surprisingly it is not a small, fligh-by-night type company that patented it, it is LSI Logic, a very popular supliers of server RAID controllers and is worth billions.

rustypup · Post by **rustypup** » 20 Mar 2007, 13:50

correct...

more importantly, i have made a mental note to never have any dealings, whatsoever, with messrs Cochran Freund & Young... only a lawyer could think this was a brilliant idea...

whether they manage to succesfully defend it is something else entirely...

although, this happens to be one of M$'s favourite games... they managed to patent XML in a number of countries

<edit>
correction: my mind is going soft... what they did was patent a very specific use of XML... object serialisation...ZDNet
still sods for doing so...
</edit>

Post by **Ron2K** » 23 Mar 2007, 12:55

Trust me to find this thread late...

Patenting linked lists, how stupid. I can't believe how the patent office could have let this one go through.

Based on this, I could probably go and apply for a patent for a "mounted apparatus effectuating reception of non-linearly projected liquids", and then, when I get it, sue every sink, basin and toilet manufacturer in existence.