Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fighting Big Brother

Re:Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fight... by bigiain on Sunday June 24, 2012 @12:38AM (#4152602)

I wonder if my proxy server that replaces cookies and referrers for Facebook Google & domains with "ads" in them - with random-but-plausible junk infringes this patent (or provides prior art against it)?

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Re:Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fight... by slavak on Sunday June 24, 2012 @03:05AM (#4152793)

I'm pretty sure a product publicly available before the patent was registered can't legally be considered to be in violation of the patent...

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Re:Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fight... by bbrtyth on Sunday June 24, 2012 @04:02AM (#4152879)

No, not legally, but they will sic their lawyers on you and bleed you dry anyway.

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Re:Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fight... by slavak on Sunday June 24, 2012 @05:07AM (#4152956)

Being sued for something like this sounds like a perfectly good way to make some patent lawyer very famous and yourself very rich.

Maybe I'm just naive, though.

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Re:Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fight... by bbrtyth on Sunday June 24, 2012 @09:26AM (#4153261)

The problem is you will be up against a legal team funded by millions of dollars and they will get you stuck in red tape for years. I don't think a lawyer would take that on commission. And I don't know a lot about it, but I don't think counter-suits are very lucrative in patent law anyway.

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Re:Apple acquires "identity pollution" patent aimed at fight... by samstave on Sunday June 24, 2012 @10:25PM (#4154835)

More details on said proxy please.

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