ZDNet UK: AltaVista in search patent threat; prepared to sue "everybody who indexes the web?"

"Internet search portal AltaVista is reportedly threatening to issue lawsuits against companies using Internet search technologies that it has patented."

"AltaVista was awarded four patents covering search techniques 13 November including one covering a method of indexing Web sites that is used by most search engines on the Internet. It owns a total of 38 patents."

"David Wetherell, chief executive of CMGI, AltaVista's parent company, told Internet World US magazine that Altavista would defend its patent rights aggressively. "We believe that virtually everyone out there who indexes the web is in violation of at least several of [AltaVista's] key patents," he said."

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