Firms mull impact of McAfee patent

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Author: JT Smith

eWEEK: “Software companies are scrambling to analyze the possible legal
repercussions of a recent patent issued to McAfee by the U.S. Patent
Office. The patent is unusually broad, potentially giving McAfee the
rights to key technologies used by both competitors and partners
alike.

Some areas that fall under the jurisdiction of the patent include
auto-updating, subscription services and certain software that
initiates downloads without prompting users. The company has taken
a stand to protect its newfound ownership, telling the media that
parties can either work with McAfee or engineer around it.”