OpenTV, which writes software for interactive applications on television set-top boxes, has announced that it recently filed in the US Patent and Trademark Office an application to broaden the scope of one of its patents, filed in 1994, to include "single interactive one click shopping," a reference to the means of shopping on-line that requires only one click of a mouse to purchase an item.
OpenTV is also hoping to extend its patent to include set-top box storage of personal information to facilitate television commerce. The company’s intellectual property officer, Craig Opperman, said that his company believes its existing patent, "clearly describes single interaction shopping in client/server and interactive television environments." OpenTV claims its US patent filing predates, by more than three years, the 'one click' patent Amazon.com is asserting against Barnes & Noble.com.
If successful with its application, Amazon.com could be prevented from relying on its patent to stop Barnes & Noble.com offering a one-click shopping method. However, US patent law will not allow OpenTV to stop Amazon.com or other merchants from continuing their use of one-click shopping methods if these were in use prior to OpenTV’s latest application for an extension of its patent rights.