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By Chris Meadows

Although some would claim very the idea of reading on an iPhone is patent absurdity, it appears that the idea of reading on an iPhone has also led to patent absurdity.

Apple Insider reports that a Swiss communication company is suing Apple for having the temerity to distribute e-book-reading applications for its iPhone in violation of a 2002 patent they hold on the idea.

The article holds that the timing suggests the suit was prompted by the Kindle app. The article also mentions Classics, but not any of the other popular iPhone e-book apps such as eReader or Stanza.

This only serves as yet another indication of the overall idiocy of the current patent system. An idea as painfully obvious as an e-book should not be patentable, especially when there is so much prior art (for example, Ben Bova’s novel CyberBooks).

 
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