The Register reports that Amazon’s ambitions of patenting the 1-Click shopping process received a serious blow when the US Patent Office rejected 21 out of the 26 claims that it listed in its patent for Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network.

Amazon infamously applied for this patent 10 years ago and received massive amounts of criticism from non-profit advocacy groups such as the EFF. A single New Zealand man, Peter Calveley, is believed to be responsible for unraveling Amazon’s patent filing and before you ask, it wasn’t because he was bitter about the rugby!

While I am a big fan of Amazon and order countless books and DVDs from across the blue seas, I have always thought that this was a groundless claim and I’m very happy that they are the ones that ended up with egg on their face – sorry Jeff.