WTF!?! IBM patents shorthand speak! PPCG BBQ FTW LMAO!
As it seems to reason, all shorthand textual communication is now patented by IBM. At least this is the conclusion I came to after reading the following on TechDirt-
theodp writes "The USPTO has granted IBM a patent covering the Resolution of Abbreviated Text in an Electronic Communications System, lawyer-speak for translating "IMHO" to "In My Humble Opinion" and vice versa. From the patent: "One particularly useful application of the invention is to interpret the meaning of shorthand terms...For example, one database may define the shorthand term 'LOL' to mean 'laughing out loud.'"
I for one am interested in what implications this could have on our increasingly textual-heavy way of communicating with each other. Will it spell the end to such speech? Or is IBM merely patenting this concept so others will not abuse it? Only time will tell.
Further reading-
Artistic example of said patent
© 2010, BigDiesel07. All rights reserved.
It means nothing. All the patent states is a method for dynamically interpreting and translating shorthand speak on the fly whilst in an electronic communication. It says nothing about patenting terms such as “LOL” as you are trying to imply.
Now if someone would start working on a way to stop the ridiculous spelling in text messages and on the internet.
@TC1 – When does he say anything about patenting LOL?
@Unaufhaltsam –
I think he’s referring to this line “Will it spell the end to such speech? Or is IBM merely patenting this concept so others will not abuse it?” (it won’t have any effect)
Also, you know, the title. IBM did not patent short-hand speech. They patented a method of machine translation.
It’s a program to dynamically translate “LOL” to “laugh out loud”, in other words you can type in shorthand, this queries a database and extends it to its full length.
Sort of the opposite of what you find for twitter assist sites like http://www.140it.com. There are no implications of this outside of IBM holds the patent and can license it to others for a service.
You cannot patent language/text/speech itself (though you can trademark it). You can patent methods of handling, translating or manipulating text/speech. But abbreviations, acronyms and the such are quite safe.
But who would wan to make text messages or tweets longer? So for consumers, not much of a roll. Industry and government though involved in text-translation, gisting and searching would be though. Think NSA.
Who gives a crap about IBM’s patent, if there is one. I and everyone else will continue to type how and what we want.
WTF!
OMG, WTF!