Symantec Granted Patent On Software Patches, But Says It Won't Enforce

Strangely, the patents were granted in April of last year, but Symantec waited until this week to announce them. The company says, however, says that it will not enforce these patents. The patents cover Symantec's "microdefinition" technology, which lets someone download just the latest software patch. Similar patching schemes are commonly used throughout the game industry by game publishers. According to a statement issued by Symantec, the technology "may be also be used to update general computer readable files, which may include data files, program files, database files, graphics files, or audio files. As the patent holder, Symantec is the only company authorized to incorporate this sophisticated technology into its best-of-breed products." In an interview with Reuters, Carey Nachenberg, a researcher at Symantec and the patent holder, said "We have no desire to proactively pursue litigation in regards to these patents." The text of the patent's abstract describes it this way:

Information about this patent is available at http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06052531__.