It might have, but it is very likely it would have been published in an academic paper anyhow (like it actually has).
And in any case, no one actually reads software patents (lawyers tell you not to!), so even if it was patented but not published or otherwise documented, no one would have known about it.
While the PageRank patent is definitely not a trivial patent - unlike the vast majority of software patents - it still isn't an example of a patent used for good.
And in any case, no one actually reads software patents (lawyers tell you not to!), so even if it was patented but not published or otherwise documented, no one would have known about it.
While the PageRank patent is definitely not a trivial patent - unlike the vast majority of software patents - it still isn't an example of a patent used for good.