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The BlackBerry Infringing on Other Technologies?

Posted by samzenpus on from the norhing-is-new dept.

windwaker writes "The maker of the popular BlackBerry waits to see if he's infringing on eight other patents. If this is true, future BlackBerrys will have to be licensed differently, to compensate for the infringement."

14 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. This just in: by madaxe42 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The national league of fruit growers have taken an interest, and intend to persue legal action due to infringment upon their patents on berries which are black.

  2. uh... by hamburger+lady · · Score: 4, Insightful

    At the same time, the U.S. Patent Trademark Office is reviewing the last of the eight patents, which may end up making a stronger case for NTP in the long run, according to one attorney.

    seeing as how the PTO has soundly rejected NTP's patents so far (the ones that have been reexamined and made public), i don't quite see where someone would get the opinion that such would make a stronger case for NTP.

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    Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
  3. Actually it is nine... by KiroDude · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're infringing my patent of something that does something with something resulting in something that is something which may or may not be used for something and including but not limited to something that does something where you enter data with something...

  4. And patents are a good thing because...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I love it when truly innovative companies are stiffled by patent squatter.

    Uck

  5. how to make money... by teksno · · Score: 4, Interesting

    1. patent some random technology that in the patent app is so vauge it could be anything devolped with in the nex 5 years...

    2. do nothing with the tech that was just patented cause your company is so broke from getting the patent...

    3. wait 5 years for some company to do something truly inovative and useful with somthing that could be considered your patent only because the original application to the patent office was so vauge, AND THEN SUE THEM!!!

    4. ???

    5. $$$$$$$$

  6. Blackberries by Andrewkov · · Score: 4, Informative

    From a support perspective, these Blackberries have been a nightmare for us. The well publicised RIM server problems (which my users think is *my* fault), problems with the synchronization software on Windows, problems integrating with Lotus Notes, how fragile the units are (I had a user break 2 LCD screens in one week by dropping them), and problems ungrading to newer models.. If RIM gets sued into oblivion and we stop using the damn Blackberries, that would make my day.

    1. Re:Blackberries by Remlik · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Strangly my expierence with Blackberry has been the complete opposite.

      The BES server integrated seemlessly into my exchange and SQL server. Worked right out of the box. There was a problem syncing Outlook 2003 but Service Pack 3 for the desktop software (now up to version 4) fixed that. My company has 20 blackberries and not one of them has been broken by the end user. We have had 2 with bad flash roms which caused them to lock up at random times but they were replaced under warranty. I have personally dropped my blackberry from heights of 5ft or more to concrete and blacktop more than a dozen times. Got some road rash but no real damage. We have been using these devices both in the US and internationally for more than a year and all 20 users are Berry berry satisfied. :)

      YMMV I guess.

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      Apple free since 1990!
  7. Re:Patent companies by spamfiltertest · · Score: 5, Informative

    Forgive me - but RIM actually produces a product (IE - blackberry, suretype). They are not just sitting around thinking of vague ideas, they are actually doing something, where as NTP is not. I do not know what other patents they have submitted, and what they are sitting on and not producing, but to call them an pure IP shop (like NTP) is incorrect.

  8. My routine by udderly · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is what I do...EVERY DAY

    6:30 AM -- Get up
    6:31 AM -- Go to the bathroom
    6:32 AM -- Get coffee
    6:35 AM -- Open Firefox, go to /. and read that there's a new patent infringment case

    Seriously, what's it going to take for this patent situation to be fixed? Or maybe it won't since trial lawyers are the #1 contributors to politicians.

    1. Re:My routine by Peyna · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That data you cite regarding political contributions is wildly inaccurate. It is a list of top contributors to specific members of Congress for 2004. Not surprisingly then, is that John Kerry's supporters hold all of those positions. So what you've got is presidential campaign money mixed in with statistics for Congress.

      A better index to use would be the top donors since 1989.

      The top contributors, which isn't surprising given the number of people they employ, are the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (think of all those police officers and firefighters); the National Association of Realtors (perhaps surprising to be this high on the list), the National Education Association (teachers), and coming in fourth is the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

      Big businesses are absent from this list, which might surprise some people, until they realize that almost every top individual donor sits in a pretty high position in their company.

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      What?
  9. A bit too late by BlackberryCool · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's wrong with C|NET, they are fairly late on the RIM vs NTP case. The USPTO has already rejected 7 out of the 8 patents held by NTP.

    Globe and Mail Article on the patents being rejected.

  10. well OBVIOUSLY by sbma44 · · Score: 5, Funny

    the buttons; the plastic casing; the use of symbols to convey meaning; and of course the device's flagrant use of electricity. Face it, they were asking for this.

  11. Re:Patent companies by cecille · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Woah now, I think you're mixing RIM up with some other company...they did not at ALL start off with a vague idea...the company started out of a product. The guys that started the company were waterloo eng students, and the blackberry came out of a final year project they were working on for school. In fact, they had a product before the company was even an idea.

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    ...no two people are not on fire.
  12. Bad News.... by zappepcs · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hate to break the news, but the RIM/Blackberry has a patent on the arched keyboard it has. This prevents any other wireless handheld maker from using anything but the less than ergonomic square keyboard layout. Now, having patents can be good, and I'm not saying there isn't value in this one, but I do think that its time for patent holders to stop crying foul all the time. Mediation before litigation, and let the public (via /.-like metamoderation) decide what is fair and what isn't. After all, protecting innovation is one of the tennents of the patent system. The government is also meddling with the marketplace in order to foster competition and quality pricing.... but I think they stifle it more often then foster it. Time for public opinion to be more involved in the making of patent issuance and infringement mediation.

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