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Federal Court Shuts Down Pay As You Go Wireless

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the pay-as-you-go-out-of-business dept.

self assembled struc writes "BCGI has been found guilty of infringing on pay-as-you-go wireless patents owned by Freedom Wireless. This means that cellular providers who use BCGI pay-as-you-go billing systems must immediately stop selling new service. For the next 90 days, as they wind down their service, they will have to pay Freedom Wireless 2.5 cents per airtime minute used PER CUSTOMER. This heralds a farewell to Cingular's Go Phone and Sprint-Nextel's Boost services, both powered by BCGI."

4 of 422 comments (clear)

  1. America by Monkelectric · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Where you can patent something obvious, and then prevent someone else from doing that obvious thing.

    Lets hang our heads in shame.

    --

    Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

    1. Re:America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      *shrug* yeah. I've long since realised the whole concept of freedom in the US is lip service to some ideal everyone would like, and everyone has convinced themselves they have, but has long since left on the wings of excess litigation, patents, government regulations and stupid laws. It wasn't until I left here for three years that I saw the reality is not much difference in many places overseas, but at least they're not running around spouting the "we're free" rhetoric and believing it.

      The patent system is part of that whole demise, where so much is said about it being a good thing to protect innovation, but the reality is the opposite. Guess people are really good at convincing themselves what they say is true, and be damned working towards what's said. Walk the walk, etc.

  2. Re:Wait one second... by bypedd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Furthermore there's the issue of all those people who will be out of a phone, possible their only one. I'm sure they won't be getting a sweet deal switching over to the patent-holding company - Shooting the competition in the back of the head is a perfect way to clear the path to raised prices for consumers forced to switch.

    It's a shame that laws originally intended to protect individuals or the little guys get turned into legal feeding grounds that do nothing but hurt the consumer and the diversity of the marketplace.

  3. Might be a good thing... by PAPPP · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Although this is immediately disgusting, in the not-so-long-run this might end up being a good thing, this is putting a kink in Sprint/Verison and Cingular's (the big mean companies with nearly inexhaustible legal resources) business model, who will likely lash out against it. If all goes well for them, it will end up creating a substantial precedent against this kind of business-method patent, which would inadvertently improve the patent law situation in the U.S., if we're lucky it might even catalyze a wider reform.