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Dutch Firm Says Dell Motherboards Violate Its Patent

Posted by timothy on from the professional-stunt-lawyers-on-closed-track dept.

Call Me Black Cloud writes "This article (also here) briefly discusses a suit against Dell for royalties on US patent 5,594,621. This patent, titled "Motherboard for a computer of the AT type, and a computer of the AT type comprising such motherboard", concerns the layout of ISA and PCI cards on a motherboard. Tulip Computers International somehow managed to convince the USPTO that its arrangement of cards on a mobo was worthy of a patent. Fearing the orderly arrangement of my sock drawer was infringing on a patent, I was relieved to discover only a patent for a magnetic sock holder, which solves the "well known problem associated with everyday laundering...the disarray that can occur with paired items of clothing such as socks"

6 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. I've worked inside an OptiPlex or two... by DocSbaitso · · Score: 2, Informative

    And trust me, the layout isn't that much more efficient!

    --
    Hello, my name is Doctor Sbaitso. I am here to help you.
  2. HP were using a riser card in '97.. by jantheman · · Score: 4, Informative

    ..in their Pavilion 32xx desktops.

    I wonder if Tulip knew that?

    (but I can't be arsed to go in the attic, dig the dead box out & see if there's a (c)Tulip on the mobo).

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    -- Mod me down. I am not a karma tart. ffs,gag
    1. Re:HP were using a riser card in '97.. by MImeKillEr · · Score: 2, Informative

      I was going to make the same comment, except that I was going to refer to the entire Vectra line of systems (never used or worked on a Pavilon..)

      This is just another shining example of the utter stupidity of the USPTO.

      Makes me wonder if they're using trained monkeys to grant patents.

      --
      Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
    2. Re:HP were using a riser card in '97.. by Reemi · · Score: 2, Informative

      Guess you didn't read the patent. Tulip filed this one on June 13, 1995 to the USPTOb and almost 1 year earlier in the Netherlands (Jun 14, 1994).

  3. Re:AT ? by Yottabyte84 · · Score: 5, Informative

    is dell still selling AT computers ?

    Nope. But they don't claim Dell's ATX computers infringe. They claim that has Dell's Optiplex PCs circa 1997 infringed. The suit was filed in 2000, and is just now going to trial.

  4. Re:Irrelevant but.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    These developments are actually a long term good. Despite the fact that patent office abuses are extreme and difficult, IT NEEDS TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER! Until people think about patent abuse they same way as tort reform (eg, ridiculous exagerated ludricrious nonsense - think $45 million for spilt coffee) will what needs to happen happens - an immediate end to patent office and the emergence of a new system that recognizes that physical devices - NOT METHODS - are patentable - and only when they aren't common sense - much like having to squeeze all those connectors in a limited amount of space.

    All this is sorry assed losers trying to get over a few on the man.