Subject: Re: Email messages: How large is too large?

From: Vernon Schryver <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 10:28:39 -0700 (MST)

> From: Kent Crispin <[email-masked]>

> >          http://www.patents.ibm.com/patlist?icnt=US&patent_number=5790790
>
> You would be hard pressed to come up with a more absurd patent...

Computer-based methods for determining the head of a linked list
http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/details?&pn=US05446889__

and I bet there are many, even better examples.

Vernon Schryver    [email-masked]

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From: "Perry E. Metzger" <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Dec 1999 15:47:57 -0500

> and I bet there are many, even better examples.

There is a patent in the database for the use of a laser pointer to
entertain a cat by having it chase the spot on the floor. I'm not
making this up.

If only you describe it well enough, they'll let you patent
anything. I'm sure they'd accept one for a "circular device to reduce
friction in vehicles".

Perry

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From: "Perry E. Metzger" <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Dec 1999 15:47:57 -0500

Perry

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From: John Stracke <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 16:40:13 -0500

> entertain a cat by having it chase the spot on the floor. I'm not

Wait, I found a better one: a patent on "A Pet Exerciser and Toy Device consisting
of an Attractor made of brightly colored silicone rubber strips attached to a high
tensile strength steel Wire Member which is in turn embedded into a Handle Member
that is manipulated by a human hand to entice the pet to attack."  Gee, that's
original.

--
/==============================================================\
|John Stracke    | http://www.ecal.com |My opinions are my own.|
|Chief Scientist |=============================================|
|eCal Corp.      |"The avalanche has already started. It is too|
[email-masked]|late for the pebbles to vote." --Kosh        |
\==============================================================/

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From: John Stracke <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 16:40:13 -0500