Re: Sharing the Family PC is Patent-Pending

[Barry Margolin]

In article <c7midj$2o6$1@hes01.unity.ncsu.edu>,
 hes@unity.ncsu.edu (Henry E Schaffer) wrote:

> In article <barmar-9E589C.17450607052004@comcast.ash.giganews.com>,
> Barry Margolin  <barmar@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> > ...
> >In any case, a patent doesn't just cover the end result, it covers the 
> >*method* used to obtain that result.  
> 
>   I've read a number of patents which claimed the end result, and then
> included any method of accomplishing it giving one method as an example,
> and then saying that this was only an example and that there could be
> other methods.

Is that really a valid patent?  Can an IP professional comment on this?  
I didn't think you could patent a general idea, it has to be a 
particular method or device.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA