[ NNSquad ] USPTO grants (inappropriate) patent to Amazon's Bezos

[Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>]

USPTO grants (inappropriate) patent to Amazon's Bezos

http://bit.ly/cviLdZ  (Slashdot)

They've got to be kidding with this one.  In ancient times, before the
empire, at UCLA's Campus Computing Network (CCN -- c'mon, don't type
"CNN") both intramural and external accounts were charged in terms of
"MUS" - Machine Unit Seconds, which included a variety of system
resources factors.  MUS mapped to dollars and cents via various
algorithms, leading to the movement of both "virtual" and real money
between accounts.  In fact, the UCLA Computer Club sold punched cards
(yes, in the early days we were using 'em by the box) emblazoned with
a moose image.  I'm positive I've got a bunch of these around
somewhere.

Another patently silly patent.

--Lauren--
NNSquad Moderator