Patent Troll Sues Nearly the Entire Mobile Industry
and the frivolous patent infringement lawsuit award of this week goes to … drumroll, please … Digitude Innovations, suing RIM, LG, Sony, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, and Amazon.
Digitude, an IP licensing company based in Alexandria, Virginia, just sued RIM, LG, Sony, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, HTC, and Amazon over the infringement of four of its patents:
Amazon got sued just over the following patent:
5,926,636: Remote Procedure Call Component Management Method for a Heterogeneous Computer Network
All others were sued additionally for alleged infringed of the patents below:
5,929,655: Dual-Purpose I/O Circuit in a Combined LINK/PHY Integrated Circuit
6,208,879: Mobile Information Terminal Equipment and Portable Electronic Apparatus
6,456,841: Mobile Communication Apparatus Notifying User of Reproduction Waiting Information Effectively
As it is the case so often, Digitude was not the inventor behind these patents, but took ownership just two weeks ago. Two of the patents were originally assigned to Adaptec, one to Mitsubishi and one to Apple. It appears that all four patents are part of a patent package Digitude announced to have acquired in June of this year. The company claims that it owns more than 550 patents, all of which are in the areas of PC and consumer mobile devices, computer peripherals and communications services.
Earlier this year, Digitude announced its intentions to monetize patents via an "innovative patent monetization model, where the company will acquire, aggregate, and license key technology areas in a patent consortium through strategic partnerships." The company hired several litigation lawyers "in anticipation of launching our licensing programs." It appears that RIM, LG, Sony, Samsung, Nokia Motorola, HTC, and Amazon are the first ones to 'experience' Digitude's innovative licensing program.
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I'd like to know when did they submit their applications for such patents .... Unless they submitted in the early 90s, they don't stand a chance in court.
apple is somehow behind this. indirect patent trolling!
Fuck patents. They should be used for protecting companies from copying products, NOT specific technologies that are required for practically every device in the market.
#inb4lawsuit for touch screens
I'd like to know when did they submit their applications for such patents .... Unless they submitted in the early 90s, they don't stand a chance in court.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm
5,926,636 - February 21, 1996 - Adaptec
5,929,655 - March 25, 1997 - Adaptec
6,208,879 - March 8, 1999 - Mitsubishi
6,456,841 - June 1, 1999 - Mitsubishi
The patent system is a joke.............
I'd like to know when did they submit their applications for such patents .... Unless they submitted in the early 90s, they don't stand a chance in court.
In the order they appeared in the article they were filed in: 1996, 1997, 1999 and 1999; and they were issued in: 1999, 1999, 2001, and 2002. The patents actually seem pretty specific (like, they describe actual inventions as a patent should), but describes mobile phone technology from the mid to late 90s (which makes sense for when they were filed). One of them describes how the invention utilizes IEEE 1394. I'm not sure what Digitude thinks they can accomplish with these patents, and I suspect they're going to make overly broad claims that their patents don't support.
"Patent Troll Sues Nearly the Entire Mobile Industry"
I thought that was Apple's job.
"Patent Troll Sues Nearly the Entire Mobile Industry"I thought that was Apple's job.
...they're outsourcing.
"Patent Troll Sues Nearly the Entire Mobile Industry"
Damn I thought this was another Apple article.
I'm thinking about starting my own patent troll company whose sole purpose is to make money suing Apple off the face of the planet. Any one interested in buying stocks in my new company?
can I patent "suing"? - - If apple can patent style and round cornered icons, i dont see why not...
Only the ORIGINAL Patent filer should be able to sue, not someone who "buys" it.
Apple will probably sue Digitude, stating it invented suing other companies over patent infringements first.
Ummm....the title of this piece implies that Digitude has already won.
Digitude has to prove that a previous licensing agreement didn't exist between Adaptec, Mitsubishi, Apple and the "defendants" at any point in time during which they're claiming patent infringement took place. Seeing as how Adaptec and Mitsubishi are both pretty open about licensing their IP to other companies....I don't see much chance in Digitude winning this.
can I patent "suing"? - - If apple can patent style and round cornered icons, i dont see why not...
It's already been done.
Apples behind all of this
so...how many of us left believing that patent today is all about for protecting small inventor?
This whole "patent trading" is becoming like a drug trade. Only difference is: you don't see people selling patents on street corners or stuffing them up their asses to get on a plane. Just give them time...
"Key technologies"? and WTF is "Reproduction Waiting Information Effectively"?
"Mobile Information Terminal Equipment and Portable Electronic Apparatus" includes all wireless portables right - laptops, netbooks, ultrabooks, tablets, smartphones, etc? Doesn't that make this a nuisance patent... or whatever they call it.
No other industry ever abuse patent like Information Technology companies do. I suppose it is because IT industry over-exaggerates the value of "Information" / "Patent". We do not see this in automobile industry, for instance. Or journalism, or agriculture etc etc. Since IT companies are abusing patents, we should have a law that states that IT companies cannot have any patent that is not resulted into a final product. This will kill all the trolls, instantly.
Load up a tractor trailer with 40,000lbs of amfo, park it infront of their HQ and enjoy the show.
I think you mean ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil). And honestly, I doubt they have anything that resembles what we would think of as a headquarters. Probably more like rented office space and not even a sign on the door. This just demonstrates an overwhelming need for a major reform of the patent system. Good luck with that, however, since the majority of politicians are lawyers, and the various lawyer associations are some of the biggest contributors to politicians at all levels.
Are they a subsidiary of RAMBUS?
Hilarious, right on the mark.
"The company claims that it owns more than 550 patents, all of which are in the areas of PC and consumer mobile devices, computer peripherals and communications services".....I bet Apple is already thinking of buying digitude so that it can use the patents to sue other companies in the future.
So, they didn't sue Apple???
The guy who patented this "Remote Procedure Call Component Management Method for a Heterogeneous Computer Network" is a complete *genius*.
This is used in literally in millions of applications. If they win this one, no company writing software with RPC is safe.
We need more ridiculous patent trolls. More more more! We need the entire tech industry, the real players, the guys that make all the stuff, to use their influence and their lobby to remove the ridiculous patent system such as it is. Because most citizens don't know or don't care about the state of tech patents. Down with patents! One or two years max! It needs to get worse before it gets better.
Where can I buy these obscure companies from that own patents but never enforce them?! Someone please tell me!!!!
you think this is bad lol. you don't know the rights to your genetic coding, that's right. there's a company out there that has property over your genes.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PT [...] m5,926,636 - February 21, 1996 - Adaptec5,929,655 - March 25, 1997 - Adaptec6,208,879 - March 8, 1999 - Mitsubishi6,456,841 - June 1, 1999 - Mitsubishi
Like I said, early 90s. These were awarded in late 90s. There's prior art. Period.
Today's headline : Patent Troll Sues Nearly the Entire Mobile Industry
Tomorrow's : Price goes up, consumer wallet brutally raped.