Windows 7 Under Fire For Patent Infringement
eldavojohn writes "A patent issued in 2003 called 'Method and system for demultiplexing a first sequence of packet components to identify specific components wherein subsequent components are processed without re-identifying components' is now owned by Implicit Networks, who has recently claimed Windows 7 infringes upon it with its Filtering Platform. This is used in Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Implicit is seeking a jury trial and damages. A shocking turn of events; you actually want to cheer for Microsoft this time as Implicit is nothing more than a patent licensing company (troll) and has done battle with Sun, AMD, Intel and NVIDIA."
I suggest two reforms: 1): Company has to prove they actually used said patent in a product that they developed and was sold by their company sometime before the lawsuit, or patent is void and given to the party they are suing for infringement. This would be a stipulation on top of prior art, and should be easy enough to prove. 2): You lose, you pay - for everyone's lawyers fee's!! If company cannot pay fee's upon reasonable amount of time after judgment, then the losing company is then owned by winning company until it is either liquidated or all financial obligations are complete. Then again, I am one of those socialist Canadians!!