Troll seeks toll because iPhones work Apple, your iPhones are making phone calls so we're suing you: that's the substance of the latest round of patent-trolling attempt against Cupertino. The patent accumulator in the case is Texas-based Corydoras Technologies (its filing explains that it's a subsidiary of Japanese company Anubias Technologies). Its sueball …
You can't shake a hologram, the structure is not real. You have to get at the projector. The projector is guarded by the constitution, vested interests, lawyers and politicians.
It will take mass casualties or riots in the streets before change will happen.
Isn't this exactly what the name "telephone" is supposed to mean? From the Greek roots tele meaning "from afar" and phonos meaning sound?
Pretty sure mobile devices that allowed making voice calls existed long before Apple entered the mobile device market. Probably predates Apple.
Edit: Seems it's certain combinations of features… voice calls and digital mirrors, etc.
There must be some magic sauce that only Apple Phones have. Why else would they not sue Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Microsoft and the rest...
Oh wait.... Apple has $200B+ in cash. Plus there is a lot more publicity to be gained from filing suit against the fruity company than the others.
Their lawyers must be after a new [insert luxury item of choice here].
Oh dear, looks like the worlds first smartphone, released in 2000 was capable of making ... phone calls. Let's hope Apple quote this in their defence, after all, prior art is so useful when it suits them.
Why would suing Google or Microsoft change anything versus suing Apple and Samsung? Your logic makes no sense, unless you think Google and Microsoft have some sort of magic ability to change the laws if they're sued by a troll. Reality check: they do not.
> Corydoras is a genus of catfish*
Indeed. I have about 8 of them in my tank. They are pretty passive (as catfish go) - even the baby bristlenose catfish were safe from them.
Not so safe from the Synodontus though. Or the clown loaches. I still have about 8 of the baby bristlenoses and now they are too big to be snacks.
Cost me a fortune in extra food for the synodontus!
Since mobile phones existed well before these apparently dumb ass patents who allowed stupid to be patented? The Excel Pocket Phone was only slightly bigger than most modern phones, even if it did a bit less, though it was quite good for telephone calls back in the 1980s. It was not alone
Lets patent Patent trolling...
Here's the description:
"A system, involving a company formed to buy unused patents... ... and then used said patents to extract monies form other legal entities..."
(Insert diagram of money tree being shaken)
Then use the patent to sue the patent trolls :-)
simples
Devices whose screens have controlled reflectivity so they can be used as mirrors.
"It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method to facilitate the user of the wireless communication device to see him/herself on the display therein as if he/she is seeing him/herself in a mirror."
Phones have shiny screens, so I guess he's onto something
I think Apple are fully entitled to counter sue for vexatious litigation, after all the first actual calls from a mobile phone was what? 1973 ?
Half their cash hoard should be a sufficient amount with lack of due diligence by these people regarding worthless USPTO paper not being properly done.
Unless the USPTO can be bought into disrepute regarding it's rubber stamping crap nothing will change.
You're a patent troll with a weak claim, and you decide that your first target should be one of the wealthiest companies on the planet that since the death of SCO, has the most vicious, underhanded, money grabbing, uncaring, vitriolic legal departments of the modern world?
Best of luck with that! I hate patent trolls, but I actually feel sorry for these guys. I'll be surprised if they leave the court room with all their internal organs.
Believe it or not, they really *are* talking about physical reflection. The 'prior art' in patent 6,895,259 makes this quite clear.
Funnily enough, I have an old radio which has a featureless mirror front panel when turned off, but, when activated, displays alphanumeric station info, tuning strength indicator, frequency and all controls as apparently solid switches and boxes with depth, which all disappear without trace once you switch it off again.
And it's a shitload of years older than any of these patents.
Personally the judge should be able to make the lawyers liable, if the company tries to sue and then knowingly files for bankruptcy if they fail and costs are awarded to Apple.
That should make the bottom feeding wastes of space think twice, if they have to foot the bill out of their own pockets.
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