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> Has anyone had any experience with patents on technical writing or documentation techniques? I wonder if outfits like
> Information Mapping patented some of their layout? Or if anyone ever tried to patent the old tri-pane navigation help system?
> Indexing techniques ...?
I don't have a thorough answer, but I happen to be doing a contract for a
company that deals with patent applications and suchlike, so I looked
around a bit. As a starting point, I came up with:
- US6259445: Computer-based documentation and instruction
(Patent assignee: Informix, Inc)
- US6208338: Online documentation and help system for
computer-based systems
(Patent assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company)
- US5799268: Method for extracting knowledge from online
documentation and creating a glossary, index, help database
or the like
(Patent assignee: Apple Computer, Inc)
> Seems you can patent anything these days. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent for swinging on a
> [playground] swing "inducing a component of forward and back motion into the swinging motion, resulting in a swinging path that
> is generally shaped as an oval. ... The user may even choose to produce a Tarzan-type yell while swinging in the manner
> described, which more accurately replicates swinging on vines in a dense jungle forest. Actual jungle forestry is not required."
>
> If you don't believe me, go here
>http://patft.uspto.gov/
> and search on patent number 6,368,227
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