IBM's Wishlist Includes A Patent On Avatars' Wishlists

from the when-you-wish-upon-an-avatar dept

Fri, May 1st 2009 2:52am — Mike Masnick

theodp writes "In 2006, IBM boasted it was 'holding itself to a higher standard than any law requires because it's urgent that patent quality is improved.' On Thursday, the USPTO revealed that IBM was seeking a patent for Controlling and Using Virtual Universe Wish Lists. The product of six IBM inventors, Big Blue explained that a 'virtual wish list device determines an item in a virtual universe that is desired by an avatar.' Led by Chief Avatar Sam Palmisano, IBM is still drinking the virtual world Kool-Aid, dropping $80,000 to host a recent Second Life-based conference for 200 or so members of the IBM Academy of Technology. IBM indicated the virtual venue was chosen to avoid sending 'the wrong kind of message' (pdf) that something like a $400,000 real-world meeting might send during troubled economic times."

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Filed Under: avatars, patents, wishlists
Companies: ibm

6 Comments

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Jeffry Houser (profile), 1 May 2009 @ 4:38am

No Commentary?
No commentary this time? Just a quote?

What an unusual post on this site
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- Greg G, 1 May 2009 @ 6:03am
  
  Re: No Commentary?
  Look at the time of the post. Mike may have been out partying and had a few too many and just said "screw it" and posted it as is.
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Talmyr (profile), 1 May 2009 @ 5:19am

Virtual Wishing Upon a Star
So as far as I can read it, this seems to try and patent the idea of a 'virtual' database, possibly distinct within the virtual world (as opposed to a normal electronic 'virtual' database). Given how long virtual worlds have been around, is that really a novel idea?
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Sean Henry, 1 May 2009 @ 8:43am

'virtual wish list device determines an item in a virtual universe that is desired by an avatar.'

Haha!!!

That is a hilariously useless patent until computers become self aware it will not matter since the "avatar" cant desire any thing but the "person" controlling it can desire a digital object.

Big waste of money.
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- Anonymous Coward, 1 May 2009 @ 2:32pm
  
  Re:
  Run-on sentence much?
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confused, 3 May 2009 @ 4:06am

Kinda off topic, but can anyone point me to an explanation of this "something much?" sentence. Sounds cute and I see it all over the place, but I think I do not understand it.
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