No PodBuddy for iPod lovers
dniq writes "It appears that DLO (Digital Lifestyle Outfitters) are using their patent #6,591,085 to keep a PodBuddy, designed by DVForge, a product, competing with DLO's TransPod, off the market. Another example where patents are interfering with innovation and in the end - the end users are suffering the consequences, because far more superior product can't see the light due to dirty tricks of the patent owners :("
DLO (Digital Lifestyle Outfitters) are using their patent #6,591,085 to keep a PodBuddy, designed by DVForge, a product, competing with DLO's TransPod, off the market.
Wow.... I don't even think Yoda could pull that off. Great job, Slashdot!
He's also a publicity whore and seems awfully prone to legal woes if you buy his endless "I'm such a victim" sob stories.
So he's basically Steve Jobs' long lost twin.
(Recent Apple convert).
Their patent application infringes on my patented way of inducing sleep in children with a text containing over 100 consecutive words without a period.
DLO seems to be acting like true dicks in this matter, the people are basically giving the design away to let DLO produce and they still gave DVForge the cold shoulder. A last ditch effort might include proposing a sub-contracting deal with DLO; Basically DVForge can build and sell and probably even market the product themselves, but put it under the DLO brand name and the two parties could split revenue. I know the idea sounds like DVF is getting the shaft, but they seem like they're much much more interested in getting the product out to the market than making money. This way DLO doesn't have to do much, if any work and spend little to no money on the product but bring in basically, free revenue. If the product is as good as the DVF guys say it is, then DVF can recoup their R&D funds, plus some (depending on the percentage of returns they get). I'm not even sure if DLO will accept the proposal, but the DV guys seem like they're at the point of desperate measures, and this is something they should at least ask about if they have that much faith in their product and really want it on the market that bad.
Extreme last ditch tactic. Rename it "The Star Trek Ipod holder", then complain how "DLO is cancelling our product" and tell them you don't have the funds for a lawsuit and let the Trekkers shell out money for your legal defense.
"Plans are for fools! Oglethorpe, the plutonian (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
It is making lots of money for lots of lawyers. What kind of people do you think structured the whole thing anyway? This protection of inventions etc stuff is secondary for sure, almost irrelevant. It's just a convenient framework for their machinations. Patents only have their (original) intended effect over people who *want* to do what's right - QED.