<p>Blackboard are not alone 03-August-2006</p><p>Aha - we may have a fight on our hands. </p><p>Tim Schlotfeldt reports that SAP have applied to the European Patent Office for a patent including: </p><p>* CONTENT BASED MESSAGING FOR E-LEARNING * STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FOR A COLLABORATIVE E-LEARNING SYSTEM * E-LEARNING STATION AND INTERFACE * NAVIGATING E-LEARNING COURSE MATERIALS * E-LEARNING COURSE EDITOR * E-LEARNING AUTHORING TOOL * OFFLINE E-LEARNING * E-LEARNING SYSTEM * E-LEARNING COURSE STRUCTURE * E-LEARNING STRATEGIES * CONTENT BASED MESSAGING FOR E-LEARNING * STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FOR A COLLABORATIVE E-LEARNING SYSTEM </p><p>Dirk Stieglitz has been burrowing away on the horrible EPO website and has come up with a list of SAP e-learning patent applications. </p><p>Can someone pass this on to Blackboard. Let the bastards slog it out in court I say. And the rest of us can get on with our work. But seriously, how many more of these applications exist? </p><p>And, one more worrying thing. The German government, which holds the rotating EU presidency for the first half of 2007, has announced a priority to strengthen Intellectual Property Rights. </p><p>Graham Attwell; 03-August-2006 14:08:57;</p><p>From www.knownet.com/writing/weblogs/Graham_Attwell/entries/7404860892 3 August 2006 The Dirk Stieglitz List</p><p>1 CONTENT BASED MESSAGING FOR E–LEARNING Inventor: DORNER ELMAR [DE];GROSSMANN MARKUS [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1537553 A2 — 2005-06-08 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09F9/46 ; G09B5/12</p><p>2 STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FOR A COLLABORATIVE E–LEARNING SYSTEM Inventor: THEILMANN WOLFGANG [DE];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [DE]; ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1502247 A2 — 2005-02-02 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>3 E–LEARNING STATION AND INTERFACE Inventor: KREBS ANDREAS S [DE];ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];SCHAPER JOACHIM [US];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [US];LEIDIG TORSTEN [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1500064 A1 — 2005-01-26 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>4 NAVIGATING E–LEARNING COURSE MATERIALS Inventor: ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];KREBS ANDREAS S [DE];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1500065 A1 — 2005-01-26 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>5 E–LEARNING COURSE EDITOR Inventor: ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];LEIDIG TORSTEN [DE];KREBS ANDREAS S [DE];SCHAPER JOACHIM [US];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [US] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1497809 A1 — 2005-01-19 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>6 E–LEARNING AUTHORING TOOL Inventor: ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];SCHAPER JOACHIM [US];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [DE];KREBS ANDREAS [DE];LEIDIG TORSTEN [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1493139 A1 — 2005-01-05 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>7 OFFLINE E– LEARNING Inventor: KREBS ANDREAS S [DE];ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];THEILMANN WOLFGANG [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1490854 A2 — 2004-12-29 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>8 E–LEARNING SYSTEM Inventor: SCHAPER JOACHIM [US];ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [DE];KREBS ANDREAS S [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1481382 A1 — 2004-12-01 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00 </p><p>From www.knownet.com/writing/weblogs/Graham_Attwell/entries/7404860892 3 August 2006 9 E–LEARNING COURSE STRUCTURE Inventor: ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];KREBS ANDREAS S [DE];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [DE];SCHAPER JOACHIM [US];LEIDIG TORSTEN [DE];MEDER NORBERT [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1481381 A1 — 2004-12-01 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B1/00 </p><p>10 E–LEARNING STRATEGIES Inventor: KREBS ANDREAS S [DE];SCHAPER JOACHIM [US];ALTENHOFEN MICHAEL [DE];LEIDIG TORSTEN [DE];MEDER NORBERT [DE];GERTEIS WOLFGANG [DE] Applicant: SAP AG [DE] Publication info: EP1474791 A1 — 2004-11-10 IPC: (IPC1-7): G09B5/00</p><p>From www.knownet.com/writing/weblogs/Graham_Attwell/entries/7404860892 3 August 2006</p>