] Thomas Woolston's recent $35 million victory in a patent
] infringement suit against Internet colossus eBay has
] brought both vindication and vilification.
]
] Last month, a federal jury in Norfolk ruled that eBay
] willfully infringed on Woolston's patents, which devised
] a method for people to buy a product over the Internet
] for a fixed price. EBay's "Buy It Now" feature, which
] allows Web surfers to do the same thing, infringes on
] that patent.

WTF?? How do you patent "Buy it now"? It was a logical next step in evolution for Ebays site. Its a check out feature not unlike what you would find on any other "shopping cart" system - agree to pay a fixed price and you proceed to "checkout" to buy the merchandise. What the hell did this jury think was actually "invented" here?

Quick - someone patent "sexual intercourse" then sue the human race for infringement.

Laughing Boy

USATODAY.com - Va. inventor vindicated, vilified after verdict against eBay