Post Tagged with: "amazon"

The Amazon Kindle and an Orwellian Misstep

For months many consumers have lamented the absence of the Kindle, Amazon’s popular electronic book reader, from the Canadian market.  Now in its second version, the Kindle has proven to be a major success story in the United States with a loyal user base that relish the chance to wirelessly access books, periodicals, and web content on a single, sleek device. Yet as my weekly technology law column notes (Toronto Star version, homepage version)  two recent controversies cast doubt on the Kindle and in the process highlighted how consumers may find themselves vulnerable as they embrace electronic books.

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July 29, 2009 10 comments Columns

The Amazon Kindle and an Orwellian Misstep

Appeared in the Toronto Star on July 27, 2009 as Amazon, Kindle and an Orwellian Misstep For months many consumers have lamented the absence of the Kindle, Amazon’s popular electronic book reader, from the Canadian market.  Now in its second version, the Kindle has proven to be a major success […]

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July 27, 2009 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Amazon Remotely Deletes E-Books From Kindle Readers

The NY Times reports that Amazon has remotely deleted a pair of e-books from users' Kindles after the publisher apparently changed its mind on offering an electronic edition.  The books?  George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm.

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July 17, 2009 6 comments News

Canadian Patent Appeal Board Rules Against Business Method Patents

Catching up from a column last week (Toronto Star version, homepage version), the Canadian Patent Appeal Board recently denied an appeal by Amazon.com over a "one-click" ordering system patent with strong language that challenged the notion that business method patents are patentable under Canadian law.  Business method patents took off in the U.S. in 1998, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (one notch below the U.S. Supreme Court) ruled that patents could be awarded for business methods in a case called State Street Bank v. Signature Financial Corp.

In the aftermath of the State Street Bank decision, companies rushed to file patent claims for a wide range of business practices.  Amazon.com became the most visible business method patentee with its one-click patent for a service that allows repeat visitors to move directly to the virtual checkout with one click (completing payment and shipping information in the process). The Canadian experience with the Amazon.com one-click business method patent has been much different.  The Canadian Patent Office rejected the application in 2004 based on obviousness and non-statutory subject matter.  Amazon.com appealed to the Canadian Patent Appeal Board.

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June 5, 2009 16 comments Columns

Panel Strikes Blow Against Business Method Patents in Canada

Appeared in the Toronto Star on May 25, 2009 as Two Clicks and You're Out, Panel Rules Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on May 26, 2009 as System of Business Method Patents Could Face Rough Ride Most people think of patents in terms of legal protection for new technological inventions. […]

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May 27, 2009 2 comments Columns Archive