Sour Blackberries
More bad news for Blackberry users. Computerworld reports that RIM is on the received end of another patent lawsuit. This time Visto claims that the Blackberry system infringes four Visto patents relating to the accessing and synchronizing of information over a network. Instead of asking for monetary compensation, Visto is asking that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas shut down the Blackberry network. The lawsuit was filed on the same day as a Texas jury awarded Visto $3.6m in a patent action against another company, Seven Networks.
The IPKat is not happy. While he doesn’t advocate patent infringement, he doesn’t think it’s fair that Blackberry users who purchased the costly equipment in good faith should be faced with the Sword of Damoles hanging over their heads every time someone else decides to take action against RIM.
Dreadful dough
Spotted – a rather unlikely brand extension. Hasbro has launched eau de PLAY-DOH", a Play-Doh scented frangrance, to celebrate the modelling dough’s fiftieth birthday. The Play-Doh pong retails for approximately $19 and is targeted at 'highly-creative people, who seek a whimsical scent reminiscent of their childhood'.
The moderately creative IPKat says ugh! (and yes, he did check it wasn't April 1)
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What's different about the Blackberry case from any of the other software patent cases out there? Do you think it's fair on the genuine innovator to see their market stolen simply because RIM got the customer base first?
ReplyDeleteIlanah's right. The consumer is a pawn in this game and would buy the Blackberry from whoever sold it. It's only right and proper for the courts, while protecting the interest of the patent owner, to respect the interest of the ultimate consumer too.
ReplyDeleteIF infringement is taking place then surely the rights holder is entitled to take enforcement action. It seems perverse to say that if one's infringed patent is used in a very popular system - then one should have one's rights restricted.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, wouldn't consumers have a remedy against RIM if the system is taken down due to patent infringement?