>> The patent exemplifies a growing trend among technology and consumer firms to anticipate consumers’ needs, even before consumers do.
Wrong. The patent exemplifies a growing trend among technology and consumer firms to think their business processes ought to be protected by patents when in fact, no such need exists. Certainly there is no wider (public, society, industry) good from allowing rich companies to patent something many others may have easily figured out independently.
Do you have any evidence that Amazon intends to use this patent purely for defensive reasons only? If not, we're just speculating. Worse, we're giving them the benefit of doubt.
Wrong. The patent exemplifies a growing trend among technology and consumer firms to think their business processes ought to be protected by patents when in fact, no such need exists. Certainly there is no wider (public, society, industry) good from allowing rich companies to patent something many others may have easily figured out independently.