NTP awakes, sues Apple, Microsoft, Google, HTC, LG, and Motorola over wireless email

[HotelUser]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/09/ntp-awakes-sues-apple-microsoft-google-htc-lg-and-motorola/


Remember NTP? The tiny company with a portfolio of patents on wireless email technology that wrung a $612 million settlement out of RIM in 2006 after years of litigation? Well, get ready to fall in love all over again, because the company just sued Apple, Google, Microsoft, HTC, LG, and Motorola for the same thing. Given the company's protracted history defending its patent portfolio -- the RIM case alone took nearly five years and ultimately involved USPTO re-examining several patents, rejecting some and then ultimately declaring some others valid in 2009 -- we can't see any of this ending quickly or easily, especially with such formidable adversaries aligned as defendants. In particular, we'd note that Apple and Microsoft have a long history of cooperation and cross-licensing in the patent space, so we're sure their lawyers are ready to party down in lawsuit town, and adding Google, Motorola, HTC, and LG to the mix isn't going to make any of this easier for NTP. We'll see what happens -- this one's going to be long and messy. PR after the break.

[Jack!]

LOL, Money grabbers its tech, probably different in some way surely?

[Jam]

Everyone of those companies would go crying off to the law courts if they patent something and it was copied, so why shouldn't NTP. I hope they win their case(s).

[Fehm]

Everyone of those companies would go crying off to the law courts if they patent something and it was copied, so why shouldn't NTP. I hope they win their case(s).

[2]...................

[stephbob]

Small companies always try to sue big ones, its stupid.

[GommeInc]

Good ol' American patent system :D Should be shut down and restarted again, where only unique designs, concepts and actions are patented, not technological advances and progression.

[HotelUser]

Good ol' American patent system :D Should be shut down and restarted again, where only unique designs, concepts and actions are patented, not technological advances and progression.

It confuses me. How could they sue these companies if they got approval by the FDA?

[GommeInc]

It confuses me. How could they sue these companies if they got approval by the FDA?

You've lost me. I don't know what the FDA, and Google calls it Food and Drug Administration :P It's a dreadful system the patent system. Logically, you'd think when a patent is copied there would be no dispute, but for some reason loop holes crop up which shouldn't really exist - Multi-touch for example, is such a generalised concept yet somehow it can be used on any phone, computer or device even though it shouldn't in theory if a patent is put on it. Makes you wonder why they bother with the system in the US, when they're just "kitty"-footing around it (I say kitty, but I mean to use the 5 letter P word with ussy :P)

[HotelUser]

You've lost me. I don't know what the FDA, and Google calls it Food and Drug Administration :P It's a dreadful system the patent system. Logically, you'd think when a patent is copied there would be no dispute, but for some reason loop holes crop up which shouldn't really exist - Multi-touch for example, is such a generalised concept yet somehow it can be used on any phone, computer or device even though it shouldn't in theory if a patent is put on it. Makes you wonder why they bother with the system in the US, when they're just "kitty"-footing around it (I say kitty, but I mean to use the 5 letter P word with ussy :P)

The technology industry is a perfect example of why the patent system does fail. I mean, can you think of a successful company who hasn't stolen something from someone else at some time or another?

[GommeInc]

The technology industry is a perfect example of why the patent system does fail. I mean, can you think of a successful company who hasn't stolen something from someone else at some time or another?
Can't think of any :P Nintendo comes to mind, but I think they've probably done something at some point. The big computer companies are all guilty, but at the same time it's just evolution :/

[HotelUser]

Can't think of any :P Nintendo comes to mind, but I think they've probably done something at some point. The big computer companies are all guilty, but at the same time it's just evolution :/

Exactly. If they didn't then we'd be in a whole different ballgame. It really is, save for their competition--a good thing!

[Varest]

I was just reading about this on engadget earlier. I think it's stupid since NTP doesn't do anything else but sue people for patents.

[stephbob]

Can't think of any :P Nintendo comes to mind, but I think they've probably done something at some point. The big computer companies are all guilty, but at the same time it's just evolution :/

Yeh Nintendo are the ones that are usually robbed off of but they never make a massive deal out of it like "NTP" do.

[MattFr]

I was just reading about this on engadget earlier. I think it's stupid since NTP doesn't do anything else but sue people for patents.

If NTP "invented" and patented the technology it's more than acceptable for them to sue others for patent infringement.

[GommeInc]

Never heard of NTP, so by that logic, they can't be that good at using what they've patented :P

EDIT: Ah, it's a company that apparently specialises in just patenting... No wonder no-one knows about them or particularly cares. I hope they lose, as they're main existence is to just disrupt change while doing beggar all with what they've patented.

[HotelUser]

Yeh Nintendo are the ones that are usually robbed off of but they never make a massive deal out of it like "NTP" do.

That's because Nintendo is probably a company with a little more class.

[Irrorate]

This is why I disagree with US patent systems. As everyone else has stated, it's completely stupid to be able to patent technology... purely because if all technology is going to be patented we're preventing evolution - which everyone claims is a good thing!

[GommeInc]

This is why I disagree with US patent systems. As everyone else has stated, it's completely stupid to be able to patent technology... purely because if all technology is going to be patented we're preventing evolution - which everyone claims is a good thing!
Half and half, many disagree with the patent system because it halts technological evolution, but we're not saying to get rid of it completely (or a few of us aren't at least). Some things need protecting, like a certain design for example which doesn't necessary effect the way something works, which is where the patent systems fails as currently it's a mixture of design that only effects how something works like Apple and their attempts to patent multi-touch, despite the fact it's existed for ages and they got there first with adding it to a phone that works (many debate a CISCO phone also called an i-phone could of got their first, plus many other comapnies around the US and some in China/Japan).

The patent system we have here, the UK Patent System/European Patent System, is pretty much open and only allows patents which aren't generalised concepts. Dyson is an example I can think of, they've patented the systems on their vacuum cleaners such as bagless cyclone technology and ball wheel to make them easy to handle, but they're not allowed to patent the concept as it's kinda obvious they haven't seeing as many other companies have bagless vacuum cleaners (some lack cyclone technology, or as powerful cyclone tech.). There's also another company out there that uses water as a filter system on their hoovers, with the only filter being a tiny thing that can be washed :P

Anyway /end mindless rant :P

[lolwut]

*rubs hands together gleefully*
This ought to be fun