FNB patents in-chat messaging system

Mmmm, have they patented this as a South Africa only thing, or a worldwide thing?

Blackberry has been toying with this for a while: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-26/blackberry-testing-money-messenger-service.html

Also, how does the concept differ from Standard Banks', instant money service? : http://www.standardbank.co.za/porta...toid=be4267b532b4b310VgnVCM10000050ddb60aRCRD

Because if it's the specific method that FNB has patented, then I am going to patent sending money between a person sitting in an Audi to a person sitting in a BMW, using a messaging service.

IMHO, many banks and services have been doing this for a while now. Or am I confusing an obvious and fundamental difference?
 
No fanks, fees are too high. typical greeeeedy bank.

Do you know why PayPal took over? Because unlike millions of devil-spawn payment processors, paypal did not charge exorbitant fees, nor did they levy a flat monthly fee.

That was the innovation that took paypal to the top.

South African corporates know nothing but GREED and it will be their undoing.
 
This should not be patentable. It is a smart idea with a software solution. Their best approach would have been to provide it as a service and make money out of it on a first to market basis.

At its heart, a patent should be a limited time monopoly based on the cost of the R&D needed to develop an idea and take it to market and make a profit on it. In this case I would imagine the R&D and development costs are relatively negligible. It is a good idea though, no arguments about that. It would have been better if they put it in Skype / Facebook / Google Talk / Google+ or whatever, rather than their own app, but I expect they haven't managed that, so hence the patent.

Does FNB actually have an IM app? Has anyone here used it? Is it as crap as trying to buy airtime on their app? Their website works great, but their app is dire in that regard.

Granting this patent will stifle competition which is really not (or should't be) what patents are all about.

Granting it will also just enrich the lawyers that will fight over the finer points of the law for years to come. Do we really want to go where the US is today in ZA with regards to patents? What a waste of time and money. TBH we have more important things to worry about.

Didn't FNB do this before with regards to cell-phone security RVNs & TVNs or whatever? It would be interesting to know how that patent is working for them overseas if they patented that one off-shore.

<edit>
Also, if there isn't prior art on this one I would be most surprised.
 
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Petec said:
Mmmm, have they patented this as a South Africa only thing, or a worldwide thing?

Blackberry has been toying with this for a while: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-26/blackberry-testing-money-messenger-service.html

Also, how does the concept differ from Standard Banks', instant money service? : http://www.standardbank.co.za/porta...toid=be4267b532b4b310VgnVCM10000050ddb60aRCRD

Because if it's the specific method that FNB has patented, then I am going to patent sending money between a person sitting in an Audi to a person sitting in a BMW, using a messaging service.

IMHO, many banks and services have been doing this for a while now. Or am I confusing an obvious and fundamental difference?
Click to expand...

RIM, SA, is in testing phase in regards to their money transfer service.
They want to roll out with this service before year end.

They have built the app using the infrastructure of another social media platform who ditched it due to lack of funds.

You are correct in saying other banks have this but the biggest hurdle is, cash in, cash out.
 
Wonderful, can't wait for the bane of progress and innovation to start sucking up money in legal patent disputes.
 
rrcatto said:
Do you know why PayPal took over? Because unlike millions of devil-spawn payment processors, paypal did not charge exorbitant fees, nor did they levy a flat monthly fee.
Click to expand...
They sound like such good guys.
 
noxibox said:
What brain donor monkey let them patent this?
Click to expand...

"...registered a patent in South Africa..."

As long as you file the correct forms in SA, you will get your patent. It's basically rubber-stamped. You can patent a wheelbarrow in SA, but, should you wish to enforce your patent, it will probably be found worthless.
 
rrcatto said:
No fanks, fees are too high. typical greeeeedy bank.

Do you know why PayPal took over? Because unlike millions of devil-spawn payment processors, paypal did not charge exorbitant fees, nor did they levy a flat monthly fee.

That was the innovation that took paypal to the top.

South African corporates know nothing but GREED and it will be their undoing.
Click to expand...

1 of Paypal co-founder is a South African dude :D
 
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