Beware of Cookies

"F5 Networks, a maker of networking gear for big Web sites, has patented a way to improve communications between Internet browsers and Web sites and sued three competitors for infringing that patent..."

"F5's patent covers technology that improves the interaction of servers and desktop computers with Web browsers. Information such as shopping cart contents is often stored in files called "cookies" on desktop computers; F5 was awarded a patent that lets a Web traffic management device reunite a desktop computer with a particular server if the desktop computer user returns to the Web site..."

The idea of seeking money from intellectual property assets is gaining in popularity among high-technology businesses. SCO Group, holder of Unix intellectual property originally developed at AT&T, has sued IBM for more than $1 billion. And HP has begun a program to profit from its patents.

[ZDNET]