<Insert smiley here>

...that's about all we can get away with now. Some Russian has patented the smiley and claims he will actively pursue anybody who uses it without his consent.

Marx must be turning in his grave.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7778767.stm

:)

You can't patent text ;-)

Smileys are internet-domain (or public-domain) and have no respective owner.

You can trademark text. Completely different to a patent.

But even then it only restricts the use in certain circumstances. You can't actually stop people using the word in conversation or correspondence.

I don't care as i've invented my own smilies looong time ago, the one with the big nose, actually i don't have one on my own but i always thought it looks more cute this way.

:::: )
: : ))
: : ))
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---- ))
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: : ))
: : ))
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BIG SMILEY!!!

Edit: Crap, can't post mulitple spaces on the forum, there's something I didn't know.

I love the official BBC quote from a CEO of the main russian social networking site:
"You're not likely to find any retards in Russia who'll pay Superfone for the use of emoticons".

Very PC there bbc

It's funny how Russia grants patents, trademarks and the rest and assists in enforcing them yet doesn't give 2 about anyone elses in any other country.

I blame the vodka!

Dabz

I stopped using all forms of :) , :D , LOL, :P , and all the other daft symbols in forums a long time ago. They are massively overused

;-) © Oleg Teterin (TM) <Publicity stunt>

haha I dont think anyone will ever trade mark that smiley face :) that guy is gunna have a hard time hunting down people who use smiley faces... :) :) :) :)

Hmm... Let's see... Over 2 billion users of technology... over 1.5 billion users of the various text emoticons, with new "smileys" constantly being created... And he plans to track & sue every "illegal" user of every one?

Good luck to you, freatard.

He's actually only patented this one - ;-) - which other than in the example to the left, I don't think I've ever used.

However, Oleg Titterin' (sic) claims that he will pursue the use of other smileys, as they are derivatives of the one he claims to have patented.

Isn't it funny how Russia can allow somebody to do this, yet Russia is the warez capital of the world and they don't bat an eyelid? They don't have respect for anybody else's work and now all of a sudden they've turned capitalist and want to sue us all for smiling.

I think he should stop being so silly and get himself a job. The fluffy-hat-with-dangly-ear-flaps industry is doing rather well at the moment.

I want to patent ' ' ... so you's all will have
totypelikethisfromnowon ... lol

IwillbeclaimingrightsontheSPACEusedforseparatingwords
Iwillactiveltyseekdamagesofaround£100perSPACE.So,becareful(!)

Oh, on the subject of Russian cyber-crime read up on why our hands are tied whilst the likes of Russia and China can scam the life out of us without any fear of getting arrested - Cyber crime attack from the East

We should all bombard his inbox with smileys!

Spew millions of the sods at him for being so numb.

Dabz

I've been to Greece and Cyprus a few years back - 2004 and 2005 respectively. There are shops in both that are full of CDs which are obviously pirate copies. Not some dodgy character selling them out of a suit case - these are actual shops and they make not the slightest effort to hide it.

Also you can walk into any shop and buy a 3ft long sword. Nobody there even cares.

Ere Dabz !, what's his email address ?

Same here in the Philippines. Just for example, an original new game here costs around P4,000. Your average Joe earns about P200 a day. Copied games cost less that P100 a piece.

I'm not saying it's a good thing but you can see why it's done. Just so I don't get flamed or something, I'll add that I go out of my way to buy original software.

Dunno... though, I'm sure with a bit of digging, one could find it! :)

Dabz

A game costs almost a months wages? (which is about £55) No wonder piracy is rife. In the UK, most PC games average around £24 (including VAT) (about P1800), you'd be cheaper buying them in the UK and getting them posted than buying them there, it'd cost about £4-5 to ship.

Yep. Movies are not quite as bad, new releases are about P300 (still more than a days pay), older releases are just P75. Although, the general cost of living is quite a lot less that in the UK/USA, some other things are kinda pricey in comparison. A loaf of bread costs about P50 and a litre of milk is P60+.

I do buy a lot of things on the UK eBay and have my family send it here (I was born and raised in England). Usually I get things that are not sold here, Billy Connolly, Only Fools and Horses, Blackadder, etc...

@JA2

Wow that sounds like it would be a hard way to live or maybe its just so different I am not used to it... back on topic... games in the US cost like 40 dollars for the good ones and 20 dollars for the ok ones...

Ummm.... pretty sure we're still off topic.

}:]

not now though };]

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I think Jordan has patented this set of characters

                          oooo$$$$$$$$$$$$oooo
                      oo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o
                   oo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o         o$   $$ o$
   o $ oo        o$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$o       $$ $$ $$o$
oo $ $ "$      o$$$$$$$$$    $$$$$$$$$$$$$    $$$$$$$$$o       $$$o$$o$
"$$$$$$o$     o$$$$$$$$$      $$$$$$$$$$$      $$$$$$$$$$o    $$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$    $$$$$$$$$$$      $$$$$$$$$$$      $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$    $$$$$$$$$$$$$    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$  """$$$
   "$$$""""$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$     "$$$
    $$$   o$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$     "$$$o
   o$$"   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$       $$$o
   $$$    $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$" "$$$$$$ooooo$$$$o
  o$$$oooo$$$$$  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   o$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
  $$$$$$$$"$$$$   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$     $$$$""""""""
 """"       $$$$    "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"      o$$$
            "$$$o     """$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"$$"         $$$
              $$$o          "$$""$$$$$$""""           o$$$
               $$$$o                 oo             o$$$"
                "$$$$o      o$$$$$$o"$$$$o        o$$$$
                  "$$$$$oo     ""$$$$o$$$$$o   o$$$$""
                     ""$$$$$oooo  "$$$o$$$$$$$$$"""
                        ""$$$$$$$oo $$$$$$$$$$
                                """"$$$$$$$$$$$
                                    $$$$$$$$$$$$
                                     $$$$$$$$$$"
                                      "$$$""""

I seriously doubt he'd be able to win any law suits reguarding this.