Patent Battles Continue Over Wireless Email

from the make-it-stop dept

While RIM is often portrayed as a victim for having to pay out $612.5 million in the patent infringement lawsuit filed by patent holding firm NTP, what gets less attention is that part of what kicked off NTP's lawsuit was the fact that RIM itself was going around suing pretty much everyone for patent infringement itself. And, of course, that kicked off all sorts of copycats, such as Visto -- a company that clearly learned the art of wielding patents against more successful companies from NTP. Visto and RIM ended up in quite the patent battle, with Visto even claiming that RIM should be shut down.

But, in the end, rather than the other way around, it turned out that it was Visto that was found to be infringing on RIM's patents. At this point, though, hasn't anyone realized how ridiculous it is that there are so many companies claiming to hold patents on some aspect of "wireless email" that no one can enter the space without having a bunch of infringement lawsuits waiting for them? This is not what the patent system was designed for.
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Filed Under: email, patents, wireless
Companies: rim, visto


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  • identicon
    Ajax 4Hire, 3 Jun 2008 @ 7:11pm

    This article infringes on my patent

    This article infringes on my patent of a business model of suing people of infringment and patent hording.

    I am intolerant of people who are intolerant.
    I am offended by people who are easily offended.

    Patent a business model that buys up patents and sues companies that have deep pockets and wussy CEOs; easily caving to my license agreements. I'll call the company Black Plague.

    I'm off to register blackplague.com

    TTFN

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2008 @ 7:37pm

    Subtle Moose

    It is an interesting problem. With so many people claiming a patent (and at times each having their own patent) on the same thing, it should be obvious that the patent is invalid. The issue seems to be that its only obvious if you are looking for it.

    Consider the moose for example. Those are sneaky buggers and masters of escape! The thing is, people "know" a moose can't get out of a locked cage, its got hooves afterall. So unless you are looking for an escaped moose you'll never notice it running down the street.

    Okay, technically you'll notice it. I mean its a great big moose. With horns! Or antlers at any rate. The point is you won't believe thats what you saw running by so you'll shrug it off.

    Anyways, the point is patents are mooses. Meeses. Soemthing. How's a judge supposed to denounce a moose?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2008 @ 7:41pm

    Actually sounds like a good business model. Maybe the music industry should jump on this one.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Jun 2008 @ 9:01pm

    humans are pathetic creatures - need to be erased.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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