Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Space Data Lawsuit Has Alphabet's Project Loon In Jeopardy (wired.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the popped-balloons dept.

mirandakatz writes: When a small company called Space Data sued Alphabet's Project Loon last summer, not much came of it. But last month, Space Data scored a major win: It got the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel most of one of Project Loon's foundational patents, and say that Space Data came up with the idea first. That means it can now file for an injunction, and get Project Loon to stop using its internet-beaming balloons. At Backchannel, Mark Harris has dug into court records to present the full story of how Alphabet, which is currently suing Uber over trade secrets, came to be accused of doing exactly the same thing.

33 comments

  1. It's a Kihnspiracy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or not. Putin not involved. Probably not. Okay, he is. But that's okay. I'm president. And you're not!

    1. Re: It's a Kihnspiracy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey here's an idea though, why don't "they" assassinate a few of the space data people and make it look like it came from Alphabet? I wonder how hard it would be to get MIC to fight each other.

    2. Re:It's a Kihnspiracy! by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 1

      Project Loon's bubble has burst

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

  2. I know what's really happening. by Chas · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Someone's trying to get bought for an exorbitant price...

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
    1. Re:I know what's really happening. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lolz :v

    2. Re:I know what's really happening. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'll never take my balloons! Hahahaha Internet.

    3. Re:I know what's really happening. by Chas · · Score: 1

      Now say that in a Scottish accent!

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    4. Re:I know what's really happening. by rhazz · · Score: 1
      FTFA:

      Space Data has been providing commercial wireless services from balloon constellations since 2004, and it operates a radio repeater platform used by the US Army and Marine Corps, utilizing cheap weather balloons. Larry Page likely knew all this. After all, he very nearly bought Space Data in 2008.

      If they wanted to get bought it would seem like they already had the chance. I wonder why the deal fell apart. The article provides some pretty clear details backing up the general idea that Google, at the very least, reproduced their ideas.

    5. Re:I know what's really happening. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whatever Google was offering, the US military was likely making them a better deal they couldn't refuse.

      This pissed off bratty Page, who thought it was a good idea to nick tech used by the US military. If there's one institution with more firepower than Google...

  3. This is why we can't have nice things by OldMugwump · · Score: 1

    So sad. Another case of patents suppressing innovation.

    --
    "Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."
    1. Re:This is why we can't have nice things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Patents are worthless if they are never implemented. Patents should only be affirmed if the patent holder actually implements the patent in a relatively short time span. If there is no documented evidence the patent holder is at least trying to implement their patented ideas in x number of years then the patent is invalidated. Large corporations could probably work around this requirement because they have enough resources to make it look like they are actually doing something but the law firms hoarding as many patents as they can buy would find it extremely difficult to do the same thing. You could even say that patents suppress innovation because those capable of developing and realizing the patented ideas are afraid of being sued once they achieve any level of success. According to this story the patents in questions have been around since 2000 giving the patent holders more than enough time to implement the patented ideas they own.

    2. Re:This is why we can't have nice things by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

      And if not implemented then the idea shall end up in Public Domain.

      There are way too many patents for useless and unused crap out there.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    3. Re:This is why we can't have nice things by godrik · · Score: 1

      The original case for patents was to publicize how things are done to foster innovation. If three different independent company are coming up with the exact same innovation within most of each other, (I am ssuming, I haven't RTFA) then maybe there is not much innovation we care for in there.

      The patent and IP law are due for an overall...

    4. Re:This is why we can't have nice things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      According to this story, the patents in question have been around since 2000

      And if you actually READ the story, you'd have read "Space Data has been providing commercial wireless services from balloon constellations since 2004, and it operates a radio repeater platform used by the US Army and Marine Corps, utilizing cheap weather balloons."

    5. Re:This is why we can't have nice things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And if not implemented then the idea shall end up in Public Domain.

      After 20 years. So around 2024 then? Or does Space Data intend to get an extension some how? Like maybe patenting a minor revision? (We've replaced one of the bolt types on the design.) Or how about getting a new patent that amounts to: "Space-based network relay, now with 3x the speed of our previous patent!" Or maybe they'll get the benefit of the STRONGER patents act. A.k.a Patent trolls trying to pull a Disney "extend our monopoly" routine.

      So yeah, crap ends up in the public domain. (For now), but it tends to cause more harm than good. Especially when the industry in question moves forward multiple times faster than the patent's lifetime.

  4. The patents are from 2000 by FeelGood314 · · Score: 1

    None story. The key patents are from 2000. They will expire before the technology is ready for wide deployment.

    1. Re:The patents are from 2000 by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      Good. At least then it won't stop Google from implementing the idea in the long run even if they lost a number of patents.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    2. Re:The patents are from 2000 by Altrag · · Score: 1

      Maybe not, but it will set them back a decade as they won't be able to use the patented ideas in the interim for commercial testing or anything like that -- basically nothing outside of their away-from-prying-eyes labs.

  5. Forget BITCOIN... Have you tried EggCoin ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Here's how it works:

    • =|> Creimer produces 1 or more eggs from his fat bitch penis.
    • =|> Creimer announces availability of eggs on the cockchain.
    • =|> Nodes compute the current hash value of Creimer's existence.
    • =|> The first node to reply with "SHA-256(NULL)" takes ownership of the egg.
    • =|> A freshly-minted block of luls is added to the growing cockchain.
    1. Re:Forget BITCOIN... Have you tried EggCoin ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here's a bitcoin. Where's my eggs?

    2. Re: Forget BITCOIN... Have you tried EggCoin ? by Brockmire · · Score: 1

      I think "his fat bitch penis" is more of a compliment than insult, no?

  6. Summary missing key fact by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 2

    Google attempted to acquire or partner with Space Data in 2008. Makes this look less like Google doing the right thing.

    1. Re:Summary missing key fact by LeftCoastThinker · · Score: 3

      Google spun up Alphabet specifically so they could do shitty corporate raider things like this without Joe sixpack knowing it was Google (violating their pledge to "do no evil"). They basically did the exact thing that Uber did to them. They would also do it to you if you had something they wanted, the difference is apparently Space Data has enough capital to sue them and win on the merits. I hope they get big damages and a public apology from Google on the Google home search page for a month. "We're sorry for being shitty thieves and stealing Space Data's IP." Wouldn't that be a nice punishment for being shitty thieves.

      --
      If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
    2. Re:Summary missing key fact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google will do whatever it takes to become the defacto 'Big Brother'.
      Along with its partner Amazon who wants to be the only retailer of any size still operating, the cabal will then rule the world. Everything you do, where you go, who you meet and interract with will become data to be sold to the highest bidder. Mention in a conversation that you are interested in a new BBQ and you will get the inevitable 'we thought that you might like these BBQ's' advertising wherever you go. There will be no escape.

      The society similar to what was shown on 'Person of Interest' will be there in reality for all of us to see and experience.
      You can delay the inevitable by not using Google or Amazon but in the end, Samaritan will triumph.
      "Welcome to the.... Machine".

    3. Re: Summary missing key fact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes and half the commenters are painting Space Data as the bad guy when in this case it is Google. In fact it sounds like Google pulled a Microsoft, feigned acquisition interest, get the ideas/secrets, drop the acquisition and do it in house.

    4. Re: Summary missing key fact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Secrets? I thought patents were searchable and in the public domain.

      And for the nitty-gritty of this particular patent, it's not really going to be rocket science to work out what's not known in the patent by people at google - they're not exactly stupid engineers now are they.

      The patent holder clearly has no interest in doing this themselves, and simply thought of a a good idea and sat on it until someone actually tried to implement it. In that situation, Space Data should take a long walk of a short pier.

    5. Re: Summary missing key fact by LordWabbit2 · · Score: 1

      The patent holder clearly has no interest in doing this themselves

      Whether they manage to get the capital together to do this themselves is irrelevant, they hold the patent, google is trying to screw them. Google can take the long walk!

      --
      There are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third is statistics.
    6. Re: Summary missing key fact by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 1

      The patent holder had and has an active network that is used in multiple industries for wide-area coverage. While it doesn't directly compete with Google (today) for those services, there is or could be damage to their business.

      I remember what Google first started doing with Loon, and it wasn't innovative, just a logistics game. Today, I think they have some real innovations of their own which could make the technology much more valuable-- dramatically increased on-station time being the dominant one.

      Space Data might have had blinders on about the potential of their technology, but it still doesn't make it not theirs.

  7. Greed Dregs and Sham by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Say!
    I like to sue and fight!
    I do! I like them, I-P-right!
    And I would sue for in a blimp!
    And I would sue for with a chimp.
    And I will sue for what I draw.
    And in a song. Extend that law.
    And from a film. And from those books.
    They make so much so much for crooks.

  8. They lost on Jeopardy? by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

    Cue Weird Al!

  9. First to file? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought the U.S. switched to the "first to file" system (which makes it easier to file for things so obvious they'd been invented years earlier by people who didn't even think it was patent-worthy).

  10. Whatever happened to do no evil? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    or for that matter Larry Page and Sergey Brin? With their wealth and influence, I thought they'd be more like Elon Musk.

    Come on Mr. Page and Mr. Brin, how about doing something noble for a change?

  11. Space Data IS doing this themselves. Google stole. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    RTFA:

    Space Data has been providing commercial wireless services from balloon constellations since 2004, and it operates a radio repeater platform used by the US Army and Marine Corps, utilizing cheap weather balloons. Larry Page likely knew all this. After all, he very nearly bought Space Data in 2008.