IBM Abandons More Outrage-Provoking Offshoring Patent Requests

from the patent-review-by-pr dept

theodp writes "As we've seen before, sometimes all it takes is a little bad PR to get IBM to ditch a patent. More recently, Big Blue took a break from its stealth U.S. layoffs to withdraw a patent application for offshoring jobs while maximizing government tax breaks, saying it was 'filed in error'. And before bad PR lightning could strike thrice, IBM preemptively abandoned another patent application last Friday, this one for Selecting Shared Service Centers in another country ('e.g., India') and staffing them with less-productive-but-cheaper IT workers. Guess this one was 'filed in error' too!"
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Filed Under: outsourcing, patents, publicity
Companies: ibm


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 4:02pm

    The real outrage is that such things are even patentable.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      The infamous Joe, 8 Apr 2009 @ 4:18pm

      Re:

      You can apply for a patent in anything-- so there is very little 'outrage' at the fact that they applied. (A lot of head shaking, but no outrage)

      The real outrage would have occured if it had been granted, and I can't manage to convince myself it wouldn't have been.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 5:29pm

        Re: Re:

        Based on the claims, Bilski would have killed it. A better question would be whether IBM would have pursued the application had Bilski not been decided.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 5:30pm

      Re:

      There should be no outrage. These things are not patentable, at least in the United States, thanks to Bilski.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    PO Drone, 8 Apr 2009 @ 4:44pm

    NOT GRANTED??? NOT GRANTED???

    And me miss out on my production bonus??? WTF are you talking about??

    I've got my rubber stamp, see? And this big pile of applications? Here's how it works...

    stampstampstampstampstampstampstampstampstampstampstampstamp
    stampstampstampstampstamps tampstampstampstampstampstampstamp!!

    And one to grow on...

    stamp!

    Can't stand in the way of progress. And that's $25 on my monthly bonus.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Big Al, 8 Apr 2009 @ 6:18pm

    Another way of looking at it

    Perhaps, if this patent had been granted, IBM could have charged such huge licensing fees that it would have made it uneconomical for other companies to outsource, thus stemming the tide of jobs to India and other parts of Asia...

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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