The above conversation took place in 1994, before most people had heard of the Internet…

From time to time, the Patent Office is criticized for allowing patents on inventions that are supposedly obvious. But it is important to understand that what seems obvious today, may not have yesterday.

Case in point is Amazon’s One Click Patent.  That patent was filed in 1997.  What was the state of e commerce in 1997?

That is one of the key questions to be answered.. and is, in fact, required of an examiner to make in considering whether to apply an obviousness rejection.

Many things look obvious in hindsight… but were highly inventive when first conceived of.