Thursday's Google Doodle celebrates famed magician, Harry Houdini's would-be 137th birthday if were still alive. But the more interesting news is that Google's just been granted a patent for its Google Doodles. Read that again, a patent for a doodle.
It's a little absurd to think you can patent a doodle, but that's what Google co-founder Sergey Brin did back 2000 when he applied to patent the little celebratory logos. The patent describes "systems and methods for enticing users to access a website" specifically dealing with "special events" and anything that "provide search results relating to the special event." As if Google doesn't already have enough control of the web, it needs control over interactive doodles too.
Digital Trends notes that now that Google has the patent, competitors such as Yahoo, Bing or AOL won't be able to use enticing animations or insignia to grab your attention.
We can only imagine Brin is pumping his fists up in joy at his new patent, while Michael Lopez, the man in charge of coming up with ideas for the Google Doodles is laughing maniacally from his Mountain View office.
USPTO, via Digital Trends
