Amazon Patents User Viewing Histories
Found on Slashdot on Tuesday, 28 June 2005
Yet another astounding patent from the USPTO. I was browsing the patent database, and discovered that Amazon received a patent today on using customer viewing histories to generate recommendations. If a customer views product A, and then later views product B, and you use that to infer a relationship between A and B, then you've infringed on this patent. This patent is a continuation of an earlier patent (#6,317,722) on using shopping carts to generate recommendations. When will this stupidity end?
Wasn't there something like prior art? The shopping card patent was ridiculous enough already; but obviously, you can top it.