[e2e] patents on routing algorithms

[Bruce M Simpson]

Joe Touch wrote:
> David P. Reed wrote:
>   
>> A student just mentioned to me that AODV and OLSR routing algorithms are
>> patented.  I have to say I was surprised.   Anyone know by whom, and
>> what the licensing requirements are?
>>     
> See: https://datatracker.ietf.org/ipr/
>   

I see no matches for RFC 3626 (OLSR), and am unaware of any patent 
claims in this area.

David, can your student provide any more information about these IPR 
claims? There's a lot of junk (patents|laws|culture|food) out there 
these days.

A brief search reveals this, which sounds like a junk patent:
    
http://www.freshpatents.com/Network-architecture-dt20071213ptan20070286097.php

There are a number of efforts related to OLSR which make the "don't hit 
us, and we won't hit you" approach explicit in their wording, but they 
are not OLSR itself, merely extensions.

Perhaps someone should start a social networking site, whereby 
organisations which file embarassingly general patents, such as this 
one, are named and shamed, and generally poked fun at by the rest of the 
human race.

Even more embarassingly, the implementation of such a social networking 
site would probably violate said 'patent'.

Love and kisses
BMS