MIT scientists Patrick Winston and Boris Katz have filed suit for patent infringement against Ask Jeeves Inc in the US District Court for Massachusetts. Winston and Katz say Ask Jeeves’ search engine infringes two patents granted them in 1994 and 1995, relating to the use of natural language queries for retrieving computer text and database material. The complaint seeks treble damages for willful infringement of the patents, plus an injunction preventing Ask Jeeves from making, using, selling or licensing any of its internet search products. Ask Jeeves has said the complaint is without merit and that it intends to fight.
Ironically, the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, which employs Winston and Katz, is also home to the League for Programming Freedom (LPF), one of the standard-bearers in the fight against unnecessary and punitive software patents. The worst danger of the patent system is that a developer might find, after releasing a product, that it infringes one or many patents, the LPF notes in its pages. The resulting lawsuit and legal fees could force even a medium-size company out of business.
