Amazon Patents Search Strings in URLs

c010depunkk · #1 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 06:46

Found this interesting (and scary, I think) tidbit on Read/Write Web
Amazon Patents Search Strings in URLs

Basically, Amazon had patented "Search engine system supporting inclusion of unformatted search string after domain name portion of URL." For example "www.domain_name/San Francisco Hotels" . An example of a search string with formatting would be "www.domain_name/index.php ?sq=San Francisco Hotels".

The details of the filed patent can be seen here.

What do folks think? How will this affect the web design industry? Wikipedia has been using this method for quite a while now....

alexgeek · #2 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 07:33

I don't get it

Nortus · #3 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 07:35

So let me get this right before I comment.
Have they patented the right to have generic terms at the end of url's full stop - OR - is it a larger system that incorporates this?

If its the latter it shouldnt make much difference but if its the first case - wow - I cant believe they got it. In that case they are patenting all search engine friendly url's????

I had a look at some other sources but don't really understand whats going on.
I'm a lay-mans term kind of guy and that patent office thingy isn't, well, lay-manish.

Can someone explain this in baby talk please.

c010depunkk · #4 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 08:26

Quote:

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing URL request messages from user computing devices, the method comprising: receiving a URL request from a user computing device, the URL request specifying a URL that includes a domain name, followed immediately by a forward slash, followed immediately by a character string; determining whether the character string includes a predefined prefix that identifies the URL as a non-search-request URL, wherein a non-search-request URL is a URL in which the character string is not a search string for executing a search; when the character string includes a predefined prefix that identifies the URL as a non-search-request URL, retrieving content referenced by the URL, and returning the content to the user computing device in response to the URL request; and when the character string does not include a predefined prefix that identifies the URL as a non-search-request URL, executing a search in which the character string is used in its entirety as a search string, and returning results of the search to the user computing device in response to the URL request.

Sounds like they patented the process of handling a search request where the string to be searched for is appended to the URL (not a query string). And any systems and websites that use this method. Read the "Claims" section in the official definition of the patent, it's not that hard to understand and also pretty freaky....

Nortus · #5 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 08:44

The water was hitherto muddy. Now tis but only murky. So now I'll forth and readeth some more.

alexgeek · #6 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 11:55

So I can't have a search function on my site if it's formatted with htaccess ro something?

c010depunkk · #7 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 12:51

yep! if the search string is appended to the URL and not as a query string, then .....

alexgeek · #8 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 15:07

Okay, there's like double negatives which confuse me

which will amazon sue me for?
- /search.php?q=san_fancisco
or
- /san_francisco

??

Nortus · #9 (**permalink**) Oct 24th, 2007, 15:23

I think the latter.
But I reckon it will get overturned just like this one did -

CLICKY

Rob · #10 (**permalink**) Oct 25th, 2007, 13:09

THousands of systems use this URL format.... including google.

AdRock · #11 (**permalink**) Oct 26th, 2007, 20:14

I have been studying Computer law etc at uni this week and what we covered the day before this thread was patents which is such a coincidence. I am going to use this example in my essay.

Anyway, we were taught, if the patent is too general, it won't get applied and becuase so many millions of websites having been using query strings and rewritten urls for so long, i don't see how Amazon say that they came up with the idea. Surely the person who thought up mod rewrite can have the patent as he came up with the idea.

Because this is so general, I don't see how Amazon can get the patent on it.....oh....and if the patent was registered in the US, it doesn't apply in the UK or Europe. They would have to register it at all the patent offices in the world...hahahah

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Amazon Patents Search Strings in URLs