MSFT, Apple, HTC, Google, LG, Moto ALL Get Sued

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averagejoe_1984

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The fact that wireless email has been patented shows how utterly insane patent law has become. This type of litigation doesn't help the creators of ideas, producers of products, or consumers of products. It helps only the savvy patent purchasers and the lawyers who litigate on their behalf. What a sad state of affairs, a drain on the productive economy.
 

cashews

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I can see the next bit of news being:

All members of the board of directors at NTP were found shot dead in their homes today...

Seriously I think they are pissing in too many peoples cornflakes here.
 

techguy378

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Rambus didn't invent SDRAM and its variants and NTP sure as hell didn't invent wireless e-mail. There is absolutely no proof to either of these claims. The fact that someone can patent someone else's invention is disturbing to say the least. NTP's claim is just as baseless as SCO's patent infringement claims against Linux.
 
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It's not a patent on normal access of email through wireless, it's a patent on accessing email through a wireless system, and it solves the connectivity issue that would otherwise cause the battery to drain at a much faster rate. Not a terribly difficult problem to solve, but someone solved it first and patented it.
 

abcdeasdfasdf

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Sounded vaguely like that software encyclopedia suit and GIF redux; only difference is that the enc company was actually in retail and so is CompuServe being caught in the middle, their commercial interest took a hit; but this NTP is complete unknown.
 

bv90andy

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I've heard this news before but I don't understand what exactly that company invented!? Where they the first to access their email through wifi and the patented the process of checking email from a coffee place?
 

ksampanna

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We all know how this works, let companies design, manufacture & sell products, after a hiatus, sue them like crazy to get a little dosh.
 

Blessedman

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Mercedes should sue all the car manufacturers for having a steering wheel. Maybe Conestoga should sue all of them for having four wheels (or maybe for having a ribbed convertible top). They are up against some very big foes here and if this patent is somehow valid, then one of these big boys will just hostile take over the company (especially Apple) with baseball balls and Uzi's. Wagons are back baby, everyone get their horses shoed and ready!
 

waylander

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While I've had issues with the patent system itself in the past, working as an engineer with a manufacturing company, the system is there to protect an idea someone has based on what they want to build. To be quite frank about it, you don't even really need a working item. The patent system was created to protect inventors from having IDEA's stolen and put into manufacturing by large companies before they themselves could come up with capital to do it. The fact that 10 years later they still had not done so and someone else had gone ahead and done it does not make their patent invalid.

You also don't just start a lawsuit like this without first contacting the companies in question. They probably tried to settle out of court or license before they went ahead with the suit. Keep in mind they have the $600 million they got from RIM which they can use to fight this battle AND all they really need to do is get an injunction to stop the technology from being used, which is a lot easier than winning, until the case is settled... what would that do to the big guys?
 

techguy378

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[citation][nom]waylander[/nom]While I've had issues with the patent system itself in the past, working as an engineer with a manufacturing company, the system is there to protect an idea someone has based on what they want to build. To be quite frank about it, you don't even really need a working item. The patent system was created to protect inventors from having IDEA's stolen and put into manufacturing by large companies before they themselves could come up with capital to do it. The fact that 10 years later they still had not done so and someone else had gone ahead and done it does not make their patent invalid. You also don't just start a lawsuit like this without first contacting the companies in question. They probably tried to settle out of court or license before they went ahead with the suit. Keep in mind they have the $600 million they got from RIM which they can use to fight this battle AND all they really need to do is get an injunction to stop the technology from being used, which is a lot easier than winning, until the case is settled... what would that do to the big guys?[/citation]
RIM's idea was original. NTP scammed them out of $600 million.
 

mrmez

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Smart move. Buy NTP or acquire them in a hostile takeover.

Wait, hang on a sec. You cant buy something thats not for sale, and any board of directors who feel the company has a chance of winning $612 million x6 sure as shint won't agree to any change of ownership. ESPECIALLY by the people they are suing. Furthermore the FTC will NEVER approve such an acquisition.

No. This will play out for a few years in courts before all parties finally get fed up and settle out of court.
 

Syndil

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Does anyone know exactly what NTP has patented? I fail to see how internet email delivery via protocols that existed before wireless can somehow be patented just because they are wireless. POP3, SMTP, and MS Remote Sync... neither of these protocols care whether the endpoint client is connected to the Internet wirelessly. Seriously, what have they patented?
 

surfer1337dude

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[citation][nom]ChadH25[/nom]NTP is a Bleeping Patent troll.. Personally I think NTP stepped in it deep up to the nose with this lawsuit. The perfect analogy sounds a bit like this. "never bring a knife(NTP) to a gun fight(everyone else)" RIM didn't loose they where just tired of throwing money away and instead of continuing to take a loss they Settled.. they didn't say they did it but apparently NTP had enough evidence to prove they could have.... NTP is a Troll I hope Apple and Microsoft Join together and take a Page out of the Mafia book and takes them out back...and Bleeps them[/citation]
Not true...You only settle when you think you will loose, or have a good chance of loosing or you dont want to have the bad PR. The reason is that when your a company you have attorneys on payroll, so whether you use them or not your paying them. After that long of a time either the PR was getting them and wanted it to end, or they thought they would finally loose for good. Also if they hold a patent for checking email and the companies do use it they way defined in the patent, then the company has every legal right to sue. Although I do think that the laws should change with technology.
 
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