Well-known podcaster and RSS pioneer Dave Winer is critical about Google’s reading list patent. In a recent blog post, Winer explains how Google filed a patent laying claim to “a method of subscribing to a collection of feeds”. Winer’s own Scripting News discusses OPML file subscriptions or “reading lists” much earlier than the patent application and from what I understand, BlogBridge has also supported dynamic reading lists for years.
The Google invention idea seems similar to the company’s Bundles product – a tool that allows users to create Google Reader lists and share them as either a link, widget or subscription.
Nevertheless, Winer makes the assertion that Google should state the process of invention and apologize if the company is disproved as the inventor and found to have stolen from the RSS community. Given Winer’s prominence as a member of the RSS community, it’s understandable why he should feel frustrated.
If you’ve got examples of “reading list” style references that pre-date the Google patent application, let us know in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Mykl Roventine
