Microsoft Applies For Patent Telling You If A Website Is On A List Of Phishing Sites
from the non-obvious? dept
It seems that every few days when new patents are announced there are a few gems from Microsoft. Take, for example, Microsoft's latest patent application on Phishing Detection, Prevention, and Notification. If they truly came up with an innovative way to stop phishing attacks, that would be interesting. Instead, it appears that the patent is for looking at the URLs found in an email or visited by a website, comparing them to a known list of phishing sites -- and then alerting you that the link might be fraudulent. In other words, it's the most obvious anti-phishing system around (and one that's proven to not be all that effective). If someone were to describe to you the problem of phishing, and ask you how to stop it, this would be nearly everyone's first attempt. It's hard to see how something so obvious deserves patent protection -- but the way our system works these days, the whole "non-obvious" requirement has been pretty much tossed out. Update: Clarifying that this is simply a patent application, not a granted patent -- but the fact that Microsoft even thinks it's worth applying for such a patent highlights the way the system works these days.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Don't panic
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Don't panic
It's part of why reform is desired.
If a David has prior art to Microsoft's Goliath and the patent is overturned, the Bible better rewrite that particular matchup.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Funny
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Google maps should sue...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: by erica patent for comment
pat. pend.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Microsoft Patents Telling You If A Website Is On A
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Firefox
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Just ask Bill Gates
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Just ask Bill Gates
Actually, IE7 is mostly firefox ideas (firefox came way before IE7). Microsoft may have some original ideas, but their integratity is quickly fading
One think about microsoft is that they are killing their "free" programs with advertisings. For example, Windows Live Messenger has 16 tabs (mostly ads) plus one big ad at the bottom. Or windows media player is begining to suffer as well.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Patent this
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Patent this
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Microsoft Patents
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Voice recognition? Flashback to '94
Then again, there was "Project Tiger" in '92. It was a video server which never made it out of an elite alpha group of testers. If they'd only finished what they started, eh?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
So...
...just my $.02
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Prior Art!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Prior Art!
His site doesn't have a block list. It's got a list of tools in files, his PGP key, his pobox.com address, but no list of phishing offenders.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
MAKE THIS PUBLIC.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
prior art?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Why are you wasting everyone's time by commenting on just a patent "application"? Applications are meaningless. If this patent gets issued as-is, then it would warrant a discussion about it's obviousness.
But, by condemning the patent system for a patent that hasn't even been examined yet is just pathetic and simply shows how desperate you must be to get people to agree with you, even if you have to make up some false issues!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Actually, I was clear enough in the post that it was an application, not a granted patent, so I've clarified. Sorry about that. However, I disagree that it's a wasted effort.
Applications are meaningless. If this patent gets issued as-is, then it would warrant a discussion about it's obviousness.
No. Applications are far from meaningless. If it were just some random inventor it might be, but the fact that a company like Microsoft thinks that this is worth applying for a patent over shows just how screwed up the system is. It shows that the incentives aren't towards innovation but towards getting as many patents as possible, and that doesn't help anyone.
So I disagree completely that it's not an issue. If the patent system were functioning properly companies like Microsoft wouldn't be applying for such obvious patents and we wouldn't be wasting money over such applications. It's bad for the system, it's bad for the industry and it's bad for the economy.
If you think that's meaningless, that's a different issue, but I tend to disagree. It's extremely important.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
No kidding.
Microsoft patented a new variety of apple tree and "How to Tell if a Baseball Game is Exciting".
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Phishing for Phun and Prophit
The USPTO (and other NGO's like WIPO) on the other hand, should really sit back and take stock of themselves and how they serve our society. I continue to rant against them as I believe their existance must be justified by their ability to show us how what they do benefits us all, not just an elite few.
http://technoracle.blogspot.com/2006/03/my-comments-to-wto-and-chinese.html
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
uhh...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Too funny
You choose to read a blog and spend time posting a response with your accusation that the blogger is wasting your time. You might wish to patent the logic you used to come to that conclusion. It is truly unique and innovative.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anti Phishing
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anti Phishing
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
yet more laws to help people never have to take re
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
how about bluS
How about deleting Linux partitions on a windows install? did they patent that too??
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
the day when they...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Resistance is futile
[ link to this | view in chronology ]