RIM Wins BlackBerry Patent Dispute in UK

Guinnessy writes "Research In Motion has won its first patent case against Inpro Licensing. Justice Nicholas Pumfrey rejected a claim by Luxembourg-based Inpro Licensing SARL that it holds a UK patent on the technology used by RIM to transpose images and Internet files onto BlackBerry screens ruling that all the claims at issue were either obvious or lacking in novelty. It is the second European legal victory this year for RIM, following a Munich court's invalidation of a German version of the same patent. The big court case of course is on Feb 24 when a U.S. court will consider whether the BlackBerry service should be halted for infringing patents held by licensing firm NTP."

Comments

Whoa, hold the phone!

[ettlz]

From TFA:

InPro's patent described the use of a proxy server which downloaded data from the Web in response to a request from a device, then transposed the data to match the specific size and resolution of the device, according to The Times. The patent in question was granted in 1996.

And here I was — silly me — thinking that this sort of thing consituted a "method" and was therefore unpatentable in the UK! From the UKPO's web-site, the following are excuded:

• a discovery;
• a scientific theory or mathematical method;
• an aesthetic creation such as a literary, dramatic or artistic work;
• a scheme or method for performing a mental act, playing a game or doing business;
• the presentation of information, or a computer program.

Don't 5, and possible 4, call this whole game into question?

Re:It sure is obvious...

[Anonymous Coward]

In 1996, the use of a proxy server to change data to suit the target device would have been very innovative.

True, if you're under 25, in which case you probably believe that information distribution (and indeed the world), was invented in 1980's.

On the fly format translation by in intermediary device was, of course, a new innovation in 1996 as long as you limit the context to "computers on the internet". Broaden the scope to the parent realm of information distribution and such methods have been around for decades and were VERY obvious in 1996.

Re:One major check on the system

[montyzooooma]

With all due respect that's not a great idea. Only allow patents on actual products you can hold in your hand and you'd cut out 99% of the bogus patent applications. That would also be in keeping with the original spirit of the patent system.

Re:One major check on the system

[AutopsyReport]

A company that doesn't have employees paid to create new things shouldn't be allowed to own patents since it has not created anything

And while your at it, completely destroy a reason and the means for individuals to invent and patent?

Re:Ok in the UK

[pla]

But we all know the big fight is in the USA.

Why? The FP seems to take that stance as well, but I consider it really not very true.

Although the US may count as the biggest market for RIM, they have plenty of other markets now that have invalidated the offending patents. And most importantly, as a Canadian company, The US has no power to force RIM out of business (just out of the US).

If US courts thoroughly spank RIM, it will hurt them, a lot. But not quite the death-blow many people seem to consider it. The world doesn't end at the US border.