Google is doing a lot of this stuff, filing patents on machine learning techniques from decades ago and loads of other things, and often getting the patents granted. It's pretty infuriating.

A lot of it is probably defensive. If they don't Microsoft will and they'll just have to pay Microsoft. It's not their fault. It's the patent systems fault. I don't think you should be able to patent an algorithm, but that's just me

Figured stuff like this would happen when the US switched from first to invent to first to file. It was a bad change... But benefits the big co's who write the legislati.. I mean participate in our fine democracy by providing campaign contributions to those fine selfless individuals who run things from Washington.

Wouldn't the patent be immediately rendered void due to prior art anyway?

Another take from a Daala developer: https://xiphmont.dreamwidth.org/84214.html

This must be part of that "Don't be evil" mantra I keep hearing about.

The one that was officially dropped? Google may be a lot of things, but one can no longer throw that motto at them and call them hypocrites.

Well, they kinda replaced it with Alphabet's "Do the right thing", which is equally meaningless and similarly hilarious when compared with their actual conduct.

Let's be clear on this: it was never official to begin with.