Internet Patent Claims Stir Concern

NY Times ^ | Aug. 16, 2004 | TERESA RIORDAN

[QQQQQ]

"However, he said, anyone viewing stored streaming video or listening to stored streaming audio on the Internet using the most common media players - those produced by Apple Computer and RealNetworks, for example - are probably violating his company's patents.

Moreover, he said, the patents cover stored digital streaming media not just on the Internet but also over cable and satellite networks."

Theses must be some patents!

[max_rpf]

Wasn't adoption of the V-Chip mandated by law? Did they ever donate to Al Gore?

[No Longer Free State]

Oh, this is too damn easy. Insert your own Al Gore joke here.

[jocko12]

Butt Al Gore invented the internet.

[narby]

Patents on software are the most damaging single thing to the software industry. When software was "not patentable", there was tremendous growth. Now, stagnation is beginning.

[supercat]

One of the major problems with patent laws is that, even though Edison described invention as 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, the patent system mainly protects the 1% inspiration.

The fact of the matter is that many people have many great ideas which, for various reasons, they do not turn into a usable product. In many cases, it would be clear and obvious to many people that X would be a great idea if Y were possible. Figuring out how to do Y is a real breakthrough. Unfortunately, it's often possible for someone who has no clue how to do Y to patent the idea of doing X. Such a person can then reap the rewards if someone else figures out how to do Y.

[supercat]

Patents on software are the most damaging single thing to the software industry. When software was "not patentable", there was tremendous growth. Now, stagnation is beginning.

The stagnation is a result of many factors, but I'd tend to blame the emergence of spyware and spam as being just as significant as software patents. Much of the stuff that made computing great was developed in an era where it was reasonable to download some new program from some unknown author and try it out. Today, such a policy would border on insanity.

[omega4412]

What about the patent on writing letters of the alphabet or numerals side-by-side instead of all on top of each other? To say nothing of the patent on writing a blank space, and using that blank space as a separator between words or numbers. As fundamental as Micro$oft's patent on 0's and 1's.

[sgtbono2002]

Imagine me getting a bill from this clown and telling him to shove it up his ***

[Brett66]

"They are not a technology company; they are just a company full of lawyers,"

Let's nuke'em from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.....

[ohioconservative]

Doing some research, I see this has been of concern to investors for about 5 weeks now. The company's stock went gangbusters, over the past year or so, right up until the 2nd week of July. Then the free-fall selloff began (blue line is Acacia's 52-week-performance; red line is the Nasdaq's performance during the same period).

[Dinsdale]

The problem with all overly broad patents is prior art.

All it takes is one example and the court will though the patent out and you are left with a huge legal bill. Only the lawyers profit from dumb patents.

These patents will go down the same way. What is'nt covered by prior art is obvious (which is not patentable, but is subjective). The real problem is the patent office will let a kid patent swinging sideways if the forms are filled out properly (which happened, his dad is a patent lawyer out to prove a point).

[CyberCowboy777]

These guys sent us a letter concerning our POS system on our website.

There is a group of businesses fighting them, as they basically claim that the POS systems use on websites are covered in their patent.

[ohioconservative]

"They are not a technology company; they are just a company full of lawyers"

They probably have more lawyers than employees!

Acacia Research-Acacia Technologies
500 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 480-8300
Email: info@acaciares.com
Web Site: http://www.acaciaresearch.com/

DETAILS

Index Membership:	N/A
Sector:	Technology
Industry:	Semiconductors
Employees (last reported count):	20

SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance

[HungarianGypsy]

Does anyone have the exact quote on Al Gore's Internet creating claim? Somebody wrote to our local paper saying that Al Gore only said he passed federal guidelines and blah-blahs to allow the Internet to be what it is today.

[ikka]

Thing is, audeo over the Internet was first done in 1992 over the MBone. Video followed later that same year, in July 1992. Kind of hard to believe that the software that infringed the patent was developed only after the patent.

AT&T had videophone in what, 1964? Doug Engelbart's amazing demo where he tied in live video over remote links in real time to a computer occurred in ... 1968 .

IBM, AT&T, Philips all have huge patent portfolios. They can crush these guys at will.

[supercat]

The real problem is the patent office will let a kid patent swinging sideways if the forms are filled out properly (which happened, his dad is a patent lawyer out to prove a point).

Someone patented the idea of field-stripping a Glock, inserting a live round into the chamber, and re-assembling it so as to allow the firearm to be carried with a round in the chamber but the striker not cocked; making the weapon for use thus only requires pulling the slide back about 1/4".

I have no idea why this guy patented that, or what he could possibly do with the patent, but the patent was granted nonetheless.

[Atlas Sneezed]

All it takes is one example and the court will throw the patent out and you are left with a huge legal bill.

---

Yes, and you can even file a copy of previously unconsidered prior directly with the Patent Office to have them reexamine the case. (The ~$8000 fee is steep, but nothing compared to litigation.)

We hear about all these ridiculous patents issuing, but we never seem to hear about them being successfully litigated.

To those who still complain, I ask: what reform would you propose?

[DB]

Another group of lawyers that needs to be crushed.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Patent barratry at work for you.