Lesestoff fürs Wochenende

Diese Woche druckfrisch:

Jahresbericht 2007 des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamts (DPMA)
Blatt für Patent-, Muster- und Zeichenwesen (PMZ) - Heft 5/2008

Wer das liest ist doof

Auch Patentanwälte haben also doch hin und wieder Humor (siehe Anspruch 9 der US-Patentanmeldung Display control apparatus for image forming apparatus):

9. The method of providing user interface displays in an image forming apparatus which is really a bogus claim included amongst real claims, and which should be removed before filing; wherein the claim is included to determine if the inventor actually read the claims and the inventor should instruct the attorneys to remove the claim.

Schade eigentlich, dass der Anspruch im erteilten Patent rausgeflogen ist.

Fundstück der Woche: System and method for making live animals appear to talk

A system and method for making animals appear to talk is provided. The system includes a speaker mounted on an article (such as a collar) worn by the animal. A memory stores a plurality of pre-recorded messages. These pre-recorded messages may be generic phrases to be “spoken” by all types of animals or may be messages which are based on the characteristics of a particular animal. Using a selection circuit, a user is able to selectively output the pre-recorded messages from the memory to the speaker, thereby making the animal appear to talk.