OpenTV, which writes software for interactive applications on
television set-top boxes, has announced that it recently filed in
the US Patent and Trademark Office an application to broaden the
scope of one of its patents, filed in 1994, to include "single
interactive one click shopping," a reference to the means of
shopping on-line that requires only one click of a mouse to
purchase an item.
OpenTV is also hoping to extend its patent to include set-top
box storage of personal information to facilitate television
commerce. The company’s intellectual property officer, Craig
Opperman, said that his company believes its existing patent,
"clearly describes single interaction shopping in client/server and
interactive television environments." OpenTV claims its US patent
filing predates, by more than three years, the 'one click' patent
Amazon.com is asserting against Barnes & Noble.com.
If successful with its application, Amazon.com could be
prevented from relying on its patent to stop Barnes & Noble.com
offering a one-click shopping method. However, US patent law will
not allow OpenTV to stop Amazon.com or other merchants from
continuing their use of one-click shopping methods if these were in
use prior to OpenTV’s latest application for an extension of its
patent rights.
