A recent report coming from TechDirt, Google is among many of the major players in the Internet world that is getting sued over Automated E-mail Response technology. Of course though, the firm that is making the accusations and filing the lawsuit is a firm that does nothing else than buy up patents and sue companies (which doesn’t seem like that great of a business model, if you ask me.)
Indeed, it is a pretty general patent:
A method for automatically interpreting an electronic message, including the steps of (a) receiving the electronic message from a source; (b) interpreting the electronic message using a rule base and case base knowledge engine; and (c) classifying the electronic message as at least one of (i) being able to be responded to automatically; and (ii) requiring assistance from a human operator. The method for automatically interpreting an electronic message may also include the step of retrieving one or more predetermined responses corresponding to the interpretation of the electronic message from a repository for automatic delivery to the source.
If their patent was anymore general than it already is, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they started suing every consumer for even using e-mail in general.
I’m sure this will fan out and all the big boys will be just fine, it’s just funny reading about how this firm is trying to steal some money from the major players in the industry.
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