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Executives once again panic under the thought that the BlackBerry network may go silent again

The ink hasn't even dried on the $613M USD check Research In Motion paid to NTP for patent infringement, but it looks like RIM is already back in hot water.  A company called Visto has brought charges against RIM under the accusations that RIM, once again, is illegally using intellectual property to run the BlackBerry network.

Visto just won a similar lawsuit against Seven Networks, an email service provider.  It is very common for companies who plan to sue each other over intellectual property to first sue a smaller company under similar charges to build precedence.

"We believe that RIM's infringement of Visto's technology will be halted. Our case against RIM is based on similar technology, law and patents as the case we have just won in federal court against Seven Networks," claimed Visto CEO Brian Bogosian.  Visto claims RIM violates the following patents under the Visto company:
  • U.S. Patent No. 6,085,192 titled, "System And Method For Securely Synchronizing Multiple Copies Of A Workspace Element In A Network"
  • U.S. Patent No. 6,023,708, titled "System And Method For Using A Global Translator To Synchronize Workspace Elements Across A Network"
  • U.S. Patent No. 6,708,221 titled, "System And Method For Globally And Securely Accessing Unified Information In A Computer Network"
  • U.S. Patent No. 6,151,606 titled, "System And Method For Using A Workspace Data Manager To Access, Manipulate And Synchronize Network Data"

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Someone has to fix the patent system
By obeseotron on 5/3/2006 12:53:38 AM , Rating: 2
This is just getting to be absurd. There seem to be a million little companies with a totally vague patent and no product to sell. They don't do anything productive for anyone, their patents are not for inventions, they are for vague concepts that they didn't even come up with. They manage to get a patent awarded by a system that processes millions every year, making real consideration virtually impossible.

I'm all for people being rewarded for their ideas, but these "ideas" are so broad and so obvious they deserve no protection.




RE: Someone has to fix the patent system
By Samus on 5/3/2006 1:38:40 AM , Rating: 2
i agree those patents are quite vague and with my technical knowledge i wouldn't let them hold up in court.


By Trisped on 5/3/2006 4:14:26 PM , Rating: 2
I think those are just the titles. From what I can tell a patent must be very particular (for example flow charts and Pseudocode levels of particular). I remember one company starting up about 5 years ago analsys thought would flop in a year or two because everything they had was basied on other people's patents (they read the patents and duplicated the work). I am not sure if that was Blackberry or not...

Blackberry was stupid. They should have patented their own tech or bought it from someone who had. Still, if they are just a victum here it is pretty sad for their company.


Idea!?!
By Tebor0 on 5/3/2006 9:58:18 AM , Rating: 2
I'm off to the patent office so enjoy your posting while you can! I'm going to patent the idea of putting thought into electonical text. !!




RE: Idea!?!
By rushfan2006 on 5/3/2006 10:24:47 AM , Rating: 2
That's ok just wait until my patent on how to breathe through your mouth and nose at the same time is approved. :)

Also just applied to patent my technique on "Walking and Chewing Gum At the Same Time"....:)



Insane
By Orbs on 5/3/2006 3:50:07 AM , Rating: 1
This is just ridiculous. I wonder how long it will take before John Grisham writes a novel about patent infringement suits. This is just like the King of Torts, only it's IP that's at stake and sadly this isn't fiction.




RE: Insane
By rushfan2006 on 5/3/2006 8:58:49 AM , Rating: 2
Agreed. This patent stuff is so out of hand anymore these days. It is true I think some patents are extremely vague, and I don't know how they get approved.

I think also things are out of hand just in general with trademarks, copyrights, ect. I mean come on dude -- freaking copyrighting common things or actions simply shouldn't be allowed....its retarded when words like "Windows" and "Double-click" are owned by companies.

That is just so friggin STUPID to me.


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