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Comment on Zynga owes IBM $45M after using 1980s patented technology for hit games

MossyFeathers@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

I’m sure the patent made sense at the time, but it seems pretty generic now. Additionally, shouldn’t the patent have expired at this point? Why is it still being enforced?

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moody@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
That was my thoughts. Patents normally expire after 20 years, so how is a patent from the 80s still valid after nearly 40?

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- gencha@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  It expired recently patents.google.com/patent/US7072849B1/en
  
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  - moody@lemmings.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    So how is it that a patent from 1989 only expired in 2023?
    
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    notgold@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    I not going to pretend I understand patents but it looks like IBM just asked for an extension and got it
    
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    gencha@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    There is a period between filing a patent and actually receiving it. Maybe you’ve seen the phrase “patent pending” before. That likely plays a role here, if I read this right
    
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