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Tue, 04 Apr 2006

Netflix wants Blockbuster busted

And what is the patent in question?

The first patent, granted in 2003, covers the method by which Netflix customers select and receive a certain number of movies at a time, and return them for more titles.

The second patent, issued Tuesday, "covers a method for subscription-based online rental that allows subscribers to keep the DVDs they rent for as long as they wish without incurring any late fees, to obtain new DVDs without incurring additional charges and to prioritize and reprioritize their own personal dynamic queue -- of DVDs to be rented," the lawsuit said.

I'm no longer shocked to read such drivel: the patent system is broken. Seriously broken: it no longer affords any protection to the "little guy" inventor, and has become a tool used by large corporations to stifle competition and innovation. If we can't figure out how to reform it or return it to it's roots, it's gotta go entirely before it kills the whole economy.

Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc. sued rival Blockbuster Inc. for patent infringement Tuesday, asking a federal judge in Northern California to shut down Blockbuster's 18-month-old online rental service and award Netflix damages, according to a copy of the filing.

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