Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
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Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#2And they wonder why some companies don't want to do business in US anymore. US has a lot to fix to bring its economy back.
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#3I am really curious if an event like this will eventually promote change in the software patent laws.
We've been watching events like Lodsys running around kicking everyone in the knees and international developers pulling their apps out of the app store out of fear of litigation[1] while Apple seems unable[3] to actively step in and protect its developers.
Then you have other patent trolls sitting around, biding their time and waiting for targets to become profitable enough to make it worth their while to sue[2]
For something that was created with the sole purpose of protecting innovation, it has really become a perversion. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I think the original laws were put in place out of good intentions (path to hell and all that...)
If software patents are done away with, I think we just throw the pendulum in the opposite direction and now everyone with money and strong development teams steamroll the competition.
For example, I am sure Skype developed and patented some seriously impressive tech for VoIP and video that Google, Microsoft and Apple would have simply ripped off if given the chance... as opposed to licensing it or buying the parent company.
There has got to be a middle ground where the original intent of the patent system is maintained, but we do away with these selfish/unprincipled folks that buy up portfolios just to molest the system.
[1] http://www.iphoneanswers.net/2499/will-international-app-dev...
[2] http://mashable.com/2011/07/25/angry-birds-lawsuit/
[3] http://www.edibleapple.com/lodsys-argues-against-apples-moti...
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#4I am really curious if an event like this will eventually promote change in the software patent laws. We've been watching events like Lodsys running around kicking everyone in the knees and international developers pulling their apps out of the app store out of fear of litigation[1] while Apple seems unable[3] to actively step in and protect its developers. Then you have other patent trolls sitting around, biding the…
IANAL but I have to imagine that one simple rule would bring back the validity of patents as an innovation protector:
If you have a patent, you MUST have a product or be working on a product using the technology in question or you cannot litigate others using your idea.
Patents are required to protect the truly innovative individuals and groups from huge corporations who can, as you said, just steamroll them and steal ideas.
I'm afraid it will get a lot worse before we finally get this fixed, though.
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#5This is ridiculous. How were they even approved a patent for something so broad and general? Is it a matter of the judges not understanding the technology?
There are a lot of recent law school grads out there that are having a hard time finding jobs. I tell a few of my friends in such a situation all the time that they should get into the IT area because there is so much going on. What's the climate like for challenging patents like this in court?
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#6I am really curious if an event like this will eventually promote change in the software patent laws. We've been watching events like Lodsys running around kicking everyone in the knees and international developers pulling their apps out of the app store out of fear of litigation[1] while Apple seems unable[3] to actively step in and protect its developers. Then you have other patent trolls sitting around, biding the…
IANAL but I have to imagine that one simple rule would bring back the validity of patents as an innovation protector: If you have a patent, you MUST have a product or be working on a product using the technology in question or you cannot litigate others using your idea. Patents are required to protect the truly innovative individuals and groups from huge corporations who can, as you said, just steamroll them and stea…
Doesn't work for non-software patents that need infrastructure.
Say I have an idea that will improve digital cameras. I need to sell the idea to Canon/Nikon etc, there is no chance of me building the invention myself. Patents are the only way I can discuss it with them without them just being able to copy the idea.
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#7Somebody wants a piece of that pie.
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#8I am really curious if an event like this will eventually promote change in the software patent laws. We've been watching events like Lodsys running around kicking everyone in the knees and international developers pulling their apps out of the app store out of fear of litigation[1] while Apple seems unable[3] to actively step in and protect its developers. Then you have other patent trolls sitting around, biding the…
IANAL but I have to imagine that one simple rule would bring back the validity of patents as an innovation protector: If you have a patent, you MUST have a product or be working on a product using the technology in question or you cannot litigate others using your idea. Patents are required to protect the truly innovative individuals and groups from huge corporations who can, as you said, just steamroll them and stea…
That rule is easily circumvented. Just write a 10 line python script that references the patent. Release it as MyPatentApp version 1.0 and we're back to litigation square 1.
I believe that in such a quickly changing engineering landscape as software, best way to fix patent troll problem is to make software patents expire in 2-3 years.
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#9I am really curious if an event like this will eventually promote change in the software patent laws. We've been watching events like Lodsys running around kicking everyone in the knees and international developers pulling their apps out of the app store out of fear of litigation[1] while Apple seems unable[3] to actively step in and protect its developers. Then you have other patent trolls sitting around, biding the…
IANAL but I have to imagine that one simple rule would bring back the validity of patents as an innovation protector: If you have a patent, you MUST have a product or be working on a product using the technology in question or you cannot litigate others using your idea. Patents are required to protect the truly innovative individuals and groups from huge corporations who can, as you said, just steamroll them and stea…
In this case the patent is related to PacketVideo's business.
Re: Spotify Sued For Patent Infringement Just Weeks After Entering US Market
#10One of the problems is that this companies don't have anything to loose by bringing these lawsuits. They just have to fill some papers electronically, pay a few hundred dollars and the other party have to loose thousands of dollars to protect itself.