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German Customs Agents Raid Another Trade Show

Posted by kdawson on from the multinational-troll dept.

JagsLive tips the news that German customs agents have shown up in force to raid the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. (The last time we discussed news like this was during CeBIT, in Hanover, last March.) 220 customs agents seized electronic gear from 69 different booths at IFA. The Register reports that this raid, like the one last spring, was touched off after complaints by patent firm Sisvel. "They seized equipment which will now be checked for evidence of patent breaches. A spokesman for German Customs told us: 'We've raided 69 companies today. We have seized equipment including flat-screen TVs, CD players, set-top boxes and MP3 players.'"

8 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Next year, they'll do it in Belgium by unity100 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and all you german patent officials can shove your patents up your arses.

    its absolutely appalling to see a european country axeing their own trade. and its not as if germany is a HUGE market like china or whatever.

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    1. Re:Next year, they'll do it in Belgium by Elektroschock · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Basically it says nothing about validity of the claims, anyone can make the customs raid some companies. In fact when the same company went after Sandisk at a trade fair the troll utterly failed but the public damage to sandisk was done.

      It is an Italian patent troll. The way to solve the patent problem is via the political level. Germany is the heart of European patent culture. There is a new campaign Softsoftwarepatents.org

      Trolls want to scare you. The whole software patent system is a mess and its time that industry steps up to fight back. Patents are useless and dangerous in software.

  2. Pfft. by gregbot9000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Patent laws are like landfills, every country has them, and they all stink.

    1. Re:Pfft. by Macrat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I would be hard pressed to find anything bad about this.

      Nothing wrong with employees working booths at trade shows being terrorized by armed thugs?

  3. What about if they're found innocent? by Firethorn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Will Sisvel be held responsible if their claims are found groundless?

    From the listing of devices seized, they must be spreading their patent claims pretty wide.

    Either that or it has something to do in common with all those devices - maybe remote control?

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  4. Way to go! by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Regardless if the claims hold merit, there is only one direction the shit will flow. People will quit reserving booths for these shows. Manufacturers will go outside of Germany. Then... what are you left with? Nothing being made in Germany, and no one wanting to exhibit their wares there either.

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    "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
  5. Re:Sisvel patents by jim.hansson · · Score: 3, Insightful

    funny thing, on the press releases on sisvel homepage the logo has "WE PROTECT IDEAS" printed on it, I thought patents was for implementations of ideas not ideas by it self

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  6. Re:First the Russians, now the Germans... by speedtux · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Christ almighty, maybe it is time for the Americans to start bombing....

    Where do you think this patent shit is coming from? It's coming from the US.

    When the US patent system gets cleaned up, then the Europeans will follow.

    Of course, bad as things are in Europe, European patent examiners are still considerably more responsible than US ones.