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claus - 8:25 am on Apr 1, 2005 (gmt 0)
And, patent offices do grant patents to stuff that they really shouldn't even think about - just see this well known illustration [webshop.ffii.org] on European patents regarding internet shops. Or, remember the patents on one-click purchase, the hyperlink, and so forth. I think i'll read it anyway - methinks it's just cover-up for the thing known as "the sandbox" with far too many specifics listed. The interesting thing seems to be that we now have five types of ranking, or "rating" as it might be:
Still haven't read the thing but jdMorgan is right here - it's good to cast a wide net. Apart from safeguarding you against competitors working around the patent (and getting to patent stuff you really haven't invented yet), it's also a smokescreen so that it gets harder to see what the patent is really about (as you have to publish the whole thing).
Random speculation:
This is a new way to think about it for me - normally when i've considered eg. LocalRank i would have considered that as the end ranking (which also confuses me all the time, as sometimes i think it's there, sometimes it's definitely not), but now it's just an ingredient or a knob that can be turned. The same goes for the rest.
Of course it's all pure speculation. So is this: The better your overall "rating" (top points) the less it's weighed into the "ranking" (bottom point).
Whatcha think? Is it too far-fetched?