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Apple Sues Creative

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tit-for-litigious-tat dept.

boarder8925 writes "Apple is counter-suing Creative, claiming it has infringed 'four patents in its handheld digital players.' The suit was filed the same day that Creative filed suit against Apple. 'Creative proactively held discussions with Apple in our efforts to explore amicable solutions,' a spokesman for Creative said. 'At no time during these discussions or at any other time did Apple mention to us the patents it raised in its lawsuit.'"

16 of 340 comments (clear)

  1. Tiny violins by Ravenscall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So, Creative tried to play the patent bully game with Apple, and Apple turned the ship and broadsided them.

    Serves them right. Get back to making products and selling them to make a profit.

    --
    You say you want a revolution....
  2. Re:Summary: Creative says "Waaaaaaaah" by CrackedButter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I read that Apple didn't discuss the patents Creative is infringing on, I thought why should they? Like any sane thing to do is show all the cards you're playing with.

    --
    Jonathanjk.com
  3. Re:This is why patents suck by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Patents are supposed to help small inventors make it big

    Whatever gave you that idea?

    A patent is supposed to be a deal between the inventor and the public: the inventor discloses his invention, in exchange for a limited period of exclusivity. Whether the inventor makes any money on it or not is beside the point.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  4. HA by schabot · · Score: 5, Funny

    **SNAP!**

  5. Well I never... by adpsimpson · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Creative proactively held discussions with Apple in our efforts to explore amicable solutions,' a spokesman for Creative said. 'At no time during these discussions or at any other time did Apple mention to us the patents it raised in its lawsuit.'

    Fact number 2: At no time during the discussions were Creative proactively suing Apple.

    --
    Is crushing a suspect's child's testicles illegal?
    John Yoo: "No, [if] the President thinks he needs to do that."
  6. Tiring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can we just the Your Rights Online section to Who's suing who?

  7. In Soviet Russia, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Apple sues...

    I mean,

    Creative sues...

    crap.

  8. The WMDs of the tech world have been found by picz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Patents are used as WMDs by the big tech corporations. If you have them, you can keep the others from using theirs to sue you into bankrupcy. If you don't have them, you are sitting duck.

    Sometimes the doctrine fails and it looks like a patent war between desperate Creative and Apple.

    Let's see if this ends as a minor WMD accident and a quick settlement in court, or if we will see a fullblown patent war between two of the big ones. /picz

    --
    ------- Look mum! I have posted another Slashdot comment! --------
  9. Re:Summary: Creative says "Waaaaaaaah" by crerwin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is it over? Maybe I'm not up to date on Creative's financial situation, but for me their mp3 players are cheaper and as good or better than their Apple counterparts. I have a Zen Touch and am a little annoyed that it doesn't mount as a generic USB drive, but other Creative players do and that's my fault for not researching first.

    I'd like to get a MuVo at some point. Mounts as a generic drive, FM receiver (and recorder, get 'em while the RIAA is unaware!), etc. I have no intention on buying an iPod anything. They're good products, but expensive, overhyped, and apparently "think different" means "buy an iPod like everyone else." Meh, whatever.

    Sure, everyone loves Apple and will defend them vehemently when they get sued over a patent, yet we all like to forget when they've done the same. To me they're just another corporation trying to make a buck.

  10. Re:Summary: Creative says "Waaaaaaaah" by lbrandy · · Score: 5, Funny

    When I read that Apple didn't discuss the patents Creative is infringing on, I thought why should they? Like any sane thing to do is show all the cards you're playing with.

    Close, but wrong. Apple was afraid.... One the patents that came up early in the discussion was Creative's patent on 'a method of meeting and talking openly about patents in an attempt to extort money'.

  11. Re:Summary: Creative says "Waaaaaaaah" by God'sDuck · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Mildly interesting to see what's happened to Apple [google.com] and Creative's [google.com] stock since the two announcements (looks like Apple's lost ~4% & Creative ~2.5%)
    coincidental, not necessarily causal...the entire Nasdaq/Dow, as well as Europe and Japan, have been plunging for the last week.
  12. patent whining ..... by nblender · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The patent process is broken. But not the way I keep seeing described. A bunch of years ago I had an idea for a computer server add-on. It was a better way of solving a problem that Dell/HP/IBM weren't addressing at the time. We designed and built these things and over a couple of years, sold about 3000 of them. We even got slashdotted. We applied for a patent because we were afraid we'd be scooped. It took 4 years before the patent was approved and granted. By that time, Dell/HP/IBM and some smaller players all made their own version of our product and we went out of business. Now our technology features prominently on their web pages. We sent a few "you're violating our patent. Lets discuss licensing." letters, and received "oh yeah? We see your patent and raise you 1000 lawyers" responses and now we haven't got two nickles to rub together.

    Now, with this new development, even if we did find a few nickles, since we're no longer an active business, we can't even go after these people because there's no rubber mallet to beat them with anymore ....

    So don't bother innovating folks. You'll just get eaten alive.

  13. Creative == SCO, hope they get crushed. by guidryp · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is the same Creative that used patent extortion against ID software. These guys are one step removed from SCO. I launched my personal boycott of creative products that day.
    http://3dgpu.com/archives/2004/07/28/john-carmack- on-creative-patentn/

    Anyone using dubious patents to extort as a buisness model deserves to get crushed. I wish ID had played hardball against these slimeballs.

  14. Re:More, more, more by el+cisne · · Score: 5, Funny

    I say we take off, and litigate the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

  15. does apple have no shame? by bitt3n · · Score: 5, Funny

    apple is shameless. first they sue apple computer on some groundless concern over confusing names, and NOW they sue CREATIVE when Apple doesn't even MAKE mp3 players?? They should take advice from the Beatles and "Let it Be".

    --
    how many pairs of boxer shorts should you own?
  16. Re:I disagree by Moofie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Plus I enjoy being the only person at work who doesn't have a trendy ipod"

    Because doing what other people AREN'T doing is way, WAY cooler than doing what they ARE doing.

    Your behavior is still dictated by the herd if you insist on always walking in exactly the opposite direction from the herd.

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!