[IncPen]

Yes, they are called “patent trolls” in the electronic industry.

Check out my post #9. In this case, it may in fact not be trolling.

Smartflash was a USB-connected secure device that logged you into a unique site for purchasing entertainment content; it preceded (even) the iPod by a couple of years.

Smartflash partnered with Britney Spears, and one of her lawyers is alleged in the suit to have conveyed material knowledge of the device to Samsung, one of the defendants.

Britney, at the time she was involved with Smartflash was also a celebrity spokesperson for Samsung, thus the connection.

[Swordmaker]

Smartflash was a USB-connected secure device that logged you into a unique site for purchasing entertainment content; it preceded (even) the iPod by a couple of years.

They never made the device. He made no hardware. It was IF someone made this device, then it could be used this way. They sued on a BUSINESS PLAN PATENT. Read the patents. Smartflash is merely the name of the business, now. . . for something that was NEVER PRODUCED or used. Apple does not use a plug-in device on any of their devices. . . and Smartflash comes in later, in 2010, after Apple develops the iTunes store to work with their Macs, iPod, and later the iPhone and iPads to modify their original patent to INCLUDE what Apple is doing WITHOUT the flash device in the original patent. . . using the same BUSINESS PLAN PATENT!

U.S. Patent Number	Date Patent of Application	Date Patent Granted
7,334,720	January 19, 2006	February 26, 2008
7,942,317	January 15, 2008	May 17, 2011
8,033,458	November 10, 2010	October 11, 2011
8,061,598	January 24, 2011	November 22, 2011
8,118,221	November 10, 2010	February 21, 2012
8,336,772	August 17, 2011	December 25, 2012
8,794,516	April 3, 2012	August 5, 2014

• November 10, 1997:Apple Online Store opens for business using credit and debit cards securely, including downloadable software.
• January 9, 2001: iTunes Software made available for the Apple Mac.
• October 23, 2001: The iPod was first sold.
• April 3, 2003: Apple's iTunes store opened for business using debit and credit cards on file with Apple.
• January 9, 2007: The first iPhone introduced.
• July 10, 2008: App Store for iPhone apps opens using credit and debit cards on file with Apple.
• January 27, 2010: The iPad was introduced.
• October 10, 2010: Mac App Store opens using secure debit and credit cards on file with Apple.
• September 9, 2014: ApplePay announced using iPhone 6 and 6plus.

Using SmartFlash's interpretation of their patents, they invented ApplePay as well. . . and any device, card, or memory device that facilitates secure payments over the Internet IF it happens to pay for digital content, clear or encrypted, because this patent is a BUSINESS PLAN PATENT. . . under the claims they used in suit unless you can show that everyone who buys anything with a Mac, iPhone, or iPad plugs a SmardFlash dongle into their device before they can pay for their purchase.

[TheBattman]

How, exactly does that align with how iTunes stores and retrieves data? Indeed, removable flash storage, itself, is a broad concept that has been in use longer than the patent has been issued.

[FreedomCalls]

Smartflash was a USB-connected secure device that logged you into a unique site for purchasing entertainment content; it preceded (even) the iPod by a couple of years.

That is neither unique, novel, non-trivial, nor non-obvious simply because it is done on the Internet.

secure device = Blockbuster membership card
unique site = Blockbuster store
entertainment content = VHS tapes/DVDs