Interesting old patent

[evilmoo]

http://www.google.tl/patents/US5546586

 

Is this the Russ Wetmore we know and love?

 

[+bcombee]

It seems very likely. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was at Apple from 1986 until 1993, the year this patent was filed.

[+Nezgar]

Probably, I remember him mentioning his time at Apple in Antic Podcast Interview Episode 113

 

http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-113-russ-wetmore-preppie-sea-dragon-homepak

[Sheddy]

Love Russ's games, but wow, just...wow. How did Apple get a patent on something so simple and obvious that late in the day? (Unless I'm missing something)

[ricortes]

Love Russ's games, but wow, just...wow. How did Apple get a patent on something so simple and obvious that late in the day? (Unless I'm missing something)

 

While I haven't looked at his code, patent probably would not stand up to a challenge. Just kind of the way the system started working. Hyperbole on my part to make a point, some time around the 80s the Patent Office stopped challenging patents and started just rubber stamping them. Patent legitimacy was challenged in court by people using the technique in violation of rights or the patent holder to stop them. I believe the system in Germany is much the same and predates the USA model. Patents now work much more like registering a technology claim rather then something that has been thoroughly vetted by a government agency. That this patent is still in existence probably means that no one challenged it or it wasn't valuable enough to steal. I have a few myself when it was noticed there was no patent protection onto the obvious.