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In reference to the patent application: WO2002091307A9

This is an international patent application which claims a method for issuing over the internet a ticket, wherein the ticket contains a barcode in an image file format.

What's more, we have just received a letter from Ticketogo Limited inviting us to take a license and indicating that others have already done the same:

https://me2.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum/Case/ApplicationNumber/GB0317362.2

To a layman (non-legal person), this just seems such an "obvious" solution and I can't see how it could be patentable. Perhaps this is only naivety or hindsight.

I wonder if anyone else has had similar demands world wide?

And/or ideas about whether there is any prior art, or how we can show this is invalid, etc? Or even if it is indeed valid?

A method for issuing a ticket to a user of a communication interface for communicating with a data server over a publicly accessible communication network (4) and formatting data received from the server (7) and of a printer (10) capable of printing information formatted by the communication interface, the method comprising: generating a code number for the ticket; formatting an image file of an image file format, the image file representing an image in that format of a bar code corresponding to the code number; and providing to the communication interface over the publicly accessible communication network (4) by means of a data server ticket data defining the appearance of a ticket, the ticket data including the image file.

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  • On the prior art front, a very quick google will reveal numerous examples of travel companies / airlines issuing eTickets / eReservations prior to the priority date on the patent e.g. Alaska Air
    – arober11
    Apr 28, 2015 at 8:22

4 Answers 4

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  1. US6223166 (Priority: Nov 26, 1997 published : 24 Apr 2001)- Cryptographic encoded ticket issuing and collection system for remote purchasers.

  2. Try to check https://www.google.com/patents/US20020169623, is very close to claim. The image describe inventive step of mentioned WO2002091307A9 claim 1 Image from patent US20020169623

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  • Welcome to Ask Patents, and thanks for your addition! If possible, I'd appreciate if you could edit your answer to include some details from that patent to show how you feel it's close. That way, people who read your post don't have to repeat the research that you've already done.
    – Matthew Haugen
    Apr 21, 2015 at 22:44
  • Publication date Nov 14, 2002
    – Pushpak
    Apr 22, 2015 at 3:16
  • Pushpak - you need to look at "Priority date" and not "Publication date"
    – nace
    Apr 22, 2015 at 13:53
  • @nace I appreciate your listing but prior art means publicly accessible document on filing date of question patent. There is no doubt that this invention was filed on earlier date but only patent office and applicant was aware of it. It can be of more importance if any other research or publication was made by inventor.
    – Pushpak
    Apr 22, 2015 at 16:41
  • @nace US6223166 is close art.
    – Pushpak
    Apr 22, 2015 at 16:46
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Can somebody explain thar because the Barcode was delivered over the Web, it somehow makes it unique? This is really not a new idea, conference badges delivered by post containing a barcode, are essentially the same as what's being described.

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  • My understanding is that in pharmaceutical patents, new uses for existing medicines can be patented in their own right. Note also that the question is about an application, not a patent grant. (Your query technically should be it's own question, not posted as an answer though. It's a good question so I'd suggest formally asking it.)
    – DukeZhou
    May 22, 2018 at 19:36
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See the list of prior arts from bar code developer web sites before May 9, 2001 WO2002091307A9 file date:

http://www.barcodefaq.com/barcode-printing.html (Feb 2001) and http://www.barcodehq.com/primer.html (Feb 2001)

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the priority claimed in the patent is 9 May 2001

Have a look at this prior art: etix.com from Feb 2001 http://web.archive.org/web/20010204150000/www.etix.com/about.html

They were supplying tickets in the US for venues prior to the patent priority date.

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  • Welcome to Patents and thanks for contributing! (Do you know if etix filed an application, or if the process they describe was actually implemented--speaking as a software industry vet, you can never trust what a software company says in the marketing materials;) The process they are describing is fairly abstract.
    – DukeZhou
    May 22, 2018 at 19:39

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