A small US company has been granted a patent for conducting
tests via the internet which appears to cover on-line surveys and
assessments, according to a report by an Ohio business news web
site.10 Feb 2003
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the patent covers the invention of Cleveland, Ohio residents John Anderson and Charles Stack. It is described as "a method of making a tests, assessments, surveys and lesson plans with images and sound files and posting them on-line for potential users."
The patent was granted on 28th January to Test.com. This is the parent company of Test Central, which describes itself as a "provider of enterprise certification, survey and assessment technology".
According to Neohio.craintech.com, Test.com has no plans to pursue those conducting on-line testing or selling results. Instead, it hopes to sell the patent to a larger company that can afford the inevitable litigation. The price is negotiable, says neohio.craintech.com.
The patent filing is available here