[osflash] Magix to file Balthaser patent reexamination: can you help?

[Aral Balkan]

For those of you who don't read my blog... (what? WHAT???) :P

The German software maker Magix is gearing up to file a patent  
reexamination of the Balthaser Rich Internet Applications patent.  
They contacted me this week to ask for the Flash community’s help in  
assembling prior art.

Here’s what they say:

"We have recently become aware of Neil Balthaser’s claims on the  
basis of US patent 7,000,180. We have also followed - and much  
appreciated! - the numerous reactions his patent registration  
prompted in the Flash community - your postings in a most prominent  
position; sentiment we fully share.

Being potentially concerned by Balthaser’s claims ourselves, we are  
currently preparing a request for reexamination before the USPTO with  
the intent of disarming the patent to a most complete extent. In this  
regard we are approaching people who have been involved with RIA  
development and could potentially be contributing to a prior art list  
by sharing some of their knowledge. Our current prior art  
documentation incudes applications such as Worldo, Casper, Moonfruit,  
Macromedia Generator; it is still in the processus of completion. It  
is in this respect that we are asking whether you have any advice on  
the subject, including knowledge of prior art software/patents in  
order to make the reexam as successfull as possible. We appreciate  
all types of comment and information you might have with concern to  
the patentability shortcomings of Balthaser’s alleged invention.

It is, we believe, in the interest of the entire programming  
community to resist the pressure imposed by a patenting practise such  
as the one used by Balthaser and tolerated, if not encouraged by the  
PTO. We are nonetheless confident that in this case a regular  
reexamination could reverse patent rights which do no service to  
either competition or innovation."

What can you do? If you have any information on prior art or can help  
in any other way, please either leave a comment on my blog post  
(http://aralbalkan.com/695) or add your knowledge to the Balthaser  
Prior Art Discovery page on OSFlash (http://osflash.org/ 
balthaser_patent_prior_art_discovery) or contact Magix directly  
(http://site.magix.net/english-uk/home/magix-ag/contact/).

Together, we can overturn this silly patent.

Thanks,
Aral