hash patent by AltNet; Python is prior art?

[GerritM]

ZDnet features an article about the had patent at AltNet
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5534087.html . Apparantly this issue
plays already for some time, now the p2p companies are threatened, becuase
they use hashing to recognize files.

As far as I know hasing is a very old technique used to quickly look up
information. The use of hashing always requires an idnetity check, because
the lookup is not unique (mapping a very big amount of possibilities on a
limited amount of entries). This is a fast and robust way of finding
information, if the right hashing function is used.

How can this type of fundamental knowledge be patented? I am afraid this is
again an example of a total failure of the current patent system.
Unfortunately these ridiculous examples endanger smaller companies, open
software activities amd innovation in general.

kind regards, Gerrit

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