[plt-scheme] patent on web continuations

Abdulaziz Ghuloum writes:
 > 
 > On Apr 4, 2006, at 10:38 AM, Doug Orleans wrote:
 > 
 > > Apparently Paul Graham accidentally patented the idea of using
 > > continuations on the web!
 > 
 > How does one /accidentally/ patent something?

I was being somewhat facetious-- it wasn't an accident, but he was
surprised to find out that some patents had been granted well after
he had thought the application process had halted:

  Till recently I assumed all three patent applications had been left
  to wither on the vine. A few years ago I asked Trevor Blackwell, who
  inherited such stuff when I left Yahoo, what had happened to them.

  "Oh, the lawyers sent me some email about them, but I never got
  around to responding."

  I assumed from this that they'd all been dropped, but apparently the
  peristaltic actions of the lawyers continued regardless.


--dougorleans at gmail.com