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Virtualization: PUBPAT Gets PTO To Examine Opsware Patent

Opsware is one-time Netscape wunderkind Marc Andreessen's current company

The Patent & Trademark Office has granted the Public Patent Foundation's formal request to review a patent related to remote computer management held by Opsware, one-time Netscape wunderkind Marc Andreessen's current company. PUBPAT says the patent was pre-empted by the work of open source projects.

In February, PUBPAT submitted prior art that it claims invalidates the patent. In response, the Patent Office has now found that its filing has raised "substantial questions" regarding the validity of the Opsware patent.

The data center automation patent claims methods for automatically configuring or installing software on different computing devices having different sets of software and/or configurations of operating parameters.

PUBPAT says the open source work predates Opsware claims by more than a year before its patent filing, citing the work of Cfengine, LCFG, Quattor and BCFG as being impacted.

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Virtualization News 04/25/07 08:46:03 AM EDT

The Patent & Trademark Office has granted the Public Patent Foundation's formal request to review a patent related to remote computer management held by Opsware, one-time Netscape wunderkind Marc Andreessen's current company. PUBPAT says the patent was pre-empted by the work of open source projects.