Happy Thanksgiving, Apple. Now how about THREE more patent legal battles for dessert? Apple was this week hit with a number of patent infringement lawsuits regarding its sensors designs, Wi-Fi connectivity and even chirpy Siri. The first legal challenge comes from a firm called DSS Technology Management, which claims Apple's iMac, Mac mini and the upcoming Mac Pro computers infringe two of its patents. Both …
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So they think they can patent what the end user is doing?
If they could then they would at at least $100 a pop.
A good number of these patent cases rely on something like this
1) Company A buys a widget from Company B that includes some patented and licensed tech.
2) Company A sells enhanced widget to Company C.
3) Patent owner goes after Company C for infringement even though they have been paid a fee already by Company B.
I call this double dipping.
Buying something legally from soneone who is legally selling it and the technology within it does not stop a 3rd party from coming after you.
@Trevor & Thorne
I see your point, but I'm not sure it's right to paint Apple as a patent troll. To my mind a patent troll is a company that develops nothing itself, simply buying up patents in order to sue. They make the majority of their money by suing other companies. Apple is essentially a rebranding house that pours huge amounts of money into design and marketing, so it kinda makes sense that most of their patent lawsuits focus on design.
The real fault lies with the patent office in granting patently (ahem) absurd patents in the first place.
They patented rounded corners. Also ridiculous software bullshit like "bounce back on scroll." All of which was invented by others.
Apple are a patent troll. I don't care if they make widgets too, they're the trolliest troll this side of trollsville and I hope they die by that particular sword. All umpteen billion worth of cash they have locked away tightly from taxes.
Another lawsuit has been filed by Voice Domain Technologies, this time in Massachusetts. It claims voice-controlled personal assistant software Siri infringes patent number 6,281,883, which is called "Data Entry Device" and relates to "a data entry system comprising a handheld peripheral and a processing system wherein the handheld peripheral comprises a microphone for providing a microphone signal representative of a user's voice".
My Nokia 3310 was a handheld peripheral and processing system comprised of a microphone providing a signal representative of my voice, to a processing system that either recorded or matched voice tags of people I wanted to call. It could also link up via the cellular networks to other processing systems such as automated voice-activated menu systems for more advanced processing.
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