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Re:Why I hate software patents: IBM patents trim() by KrisJordan on Friday January 16, 2009 @05:48PM (#437411)
The patent is for a database column setting which will 'auto-trim' all data. So instead of having to call the trim function every time you insert or update your database this patented setting does it automatically. Hard to believe these things get patents.
Re:Why I hate software patents: IBM patents trim() by gaius on Friday January 16, 2009 @05:55PM (#437421)
To be fair there's been CHAR and VARCHAR for 20 years, but no-one has done what they're proposing. IBM probably make everyone patent everything they do.
Re:Why I hate software patents: IBM patents trim() by ambition on Friday January 16, 2009 @09:55PM (#437683)
Not quite. IBM provides strong incentives to patent inventions. It also makes it very easy for an engineer to do so.