Academic: Bb sues D2L

As reported in the Chronicle of Higher Ed:

Blackboard Sues Rival Provider of Course-Management Software, Alleging Patent Infringement
By DAN CARNEVALE, Washington

Blackboard Inc. has sued a rival in the business of e-learning software, Desire2Learn Inc., accusing it of infringing a patent recently awarded to Blackboard.

Blackboard is seeking an undisclosed amount of damages and royalty payments. But some education observers fear that Blackboard's patent may be so broad that it could stifle competition.
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/08/2006080201t.htm

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UPDATE Around Aug 4th: A summary of info resources from Cable Green at Ohio State's OLN:
FYI: In case you missed recent discussions surrounding the Blackboard Patent on eLearning Technology:

About Bb Patents: http://www.blackboard.com/company/patentFAQ.htm

Press release: http://www.blackboard.com/patent/patentpress.htm

Bb sues D2L: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33396

PDF of the suit: http://www.theinquirer.net/images/articles/blackboard.pdf

USPTO Patent 6,988,138: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%
2Fnetahtml2FPTO2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=
6,988,138.PN.&OS=PN/6,988,138&RS=PN/6,988,138

Other Bb Patents pending (in multiple countries): http://gauss.ffii.org/PatentView/EP1192615

Discussions to establish prior art to challenge the patent: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
History_of_virtual_learning_environments

http://fm.schmoller.net/2006/07/blackboards_us_.html

http://docs.moodle.org/en/Online_Learning_History

Possible threats to open source: http://www.academiccommons.org/commons/announcement/
us-patent-office-strikes-again-awards-broad-patent-to-blackboard

Blog on the topic: http://mfeldstein.com/

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UPDATE Aug 9 2006: More on Alfred Essa's blog:
http://tatler.typepad.com/nose/2006/08/how_to_think_ab_5.html