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Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg briefly reports on a software patent suit filed against Apple, Google, and Napster. "Culver City, California-based Intertainer's investors include Microsoft Corp., the world's biggest software maker, and Intel Corp., the world's biggest semiconductor maker." The patent in question would appear to be #6,925,469, which covers distribution of "digital media content" in very general terms.
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Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg) Posted Jan 3, 2007 17:27 UTC (Wed) by flewellyn (subscriber, #5047) [Link] A patent on content management systems?
Just when I think the patent system can't get any more ludicrous...
Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg) Posted Jan 3, 2007 17:59 UTC (Wed) by sbergman27 (subscriber, #10767) [Link] Well, at least it's filed against parties with the legal clout to challenge it. I suppose the silver lining (if there is one) to the patent situation is that if the plaintiff is out for money rather than protection (as submarine patent holders would be) then it makes little sense to sue you or me. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip, after all. The likely targets are the Apples, Microsofts, and IBMs of the world, who are better equipped to drag the plaintiff's ridiculous claims through the mud in court.
Ever notice how entities with more credible patents are less likely to actually use them?
Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg) Posted Jan 3, 2007 23:08 UTC (Wed) by lutchann (subscriber, #8872) [Link] It would be better to say that entities with more credible patents are more likely to use them quietly. Apple, Google, et al are more than happy to pay reasonable licensing fees for patents that they are unknowingly infringing, and the public never hears about it.
It seems a little naive to suggest that people or companies with little money are out of danger, though. Although there may be no chance of substantial financial gain from suing an open source developer, the patent holder certainly has an interest in stopping them from violating the patent in the future, and even then the developer would generally be required to pay the patent holder's legal costs for handling the matter. I'm sure the prospect of paying $10K to cover some troll's lawyer fees and possibly surrendering ownership of a project is enough to make most of us wary.
Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg) Posted Jan 4, 2007 0:10 UTC (Thu) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330) [Link] A public company can quietly make small payments, but it cannot quietly make large payments. It has to disclose major expenses, and the analysts read that stuff.So, if someone hits up Google for millions, they can't bury it. It will show up in the required SEC documents.
Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg) Posted Jan 4, 2007 3:08 UTC (Thu) by dirtyepic (subscriber, #30178) [Link] Hence "reasonable license fees".
Apple, Google, Napster Face Intertainer Patent Suit (Bloomberg) Posted Jan 8, 2007 19:27 UTC (Mon) by shail1919 (guest, #42651) [Link] I think I'm gonna file a patent for frying onions. Then I will challenge all the restaurants and all the cooks in the world for violating my invention of frying onions.
Lets hope MSoft doesn't get a wind of this and move in before I do.
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