No, there's probably not a patent encumbrance. IANAL.
But there's so much more that makes it more than just a technical problem. Ask your random 40-year-old working in a non-tech industry if they've heard of Twitter. Now ask them if they've heard of StatusNet or identi.ca.
In a nutshell, that is what makes it more than just a technical problem.
Comments
No, there's probably not a patent encumbrance. IANAL.
But there's so much more that makes it more than just a technical problem. Ask your random 40-year-old working in a non-tech industry if they've heard of Twitter. Now ask them if they've heard of StatusNet or identi.ca.
In a nutshell, that is what makes it more than just a technical problem.