Is Apple Sued for Patent Infringement Over Third-Party Software?
Dr. Roy Schestowitz
2009-03-27 11:29:55 UTC
Modified: 2009-03-27 11:29:55 UTC
Summary: The absurdity of the US patent system becomes more evident as Apple gets sued under odd circumstances
OTHER than the controversial news about Apple's hardware quality, there is plenty of coverage concerning a new lawsuit. For those who are interested in the former story, The Register has some details.
Put together by US PC repair and support firm Rescuecom, the league table was topped by Asus with a whopping 972 reliability points. Apple, now in second place, scored just 324 points.
Looking at Apple's latest patent trouble, the case is interesting because Apple is being sued merely for capability, not function. iPhone brings a lawsuit merely because it can serve as an EBook, not because it is (this is neither a built-in function nor is it advertised). Apple Insider has some details and TechnDirt, as usual, offers a solid rebuttal.
Despite Steve Jobs' proud promotion of the 200 patents Apple has around the iPhone, there's been no shortage of patent infringement lawsuits filed against the company.
How does Apple feel about patents now? In its early days, the company opposed them, but not anymore. It's the same with Microsoft.
Patent lawsuits against Apple become common (because this can pay plenty). There is another one hitting the iPhone. For objective details about the other case, see IDG's coverage:
Patent Infringement Lawsuit May Affect IPhone
Filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas Marshall Division, the lawsuit centers on the so-called "298 patent." The patent describes a "method and apparatus for detecting camera sensor intensity saturation."
Yes, it's the Eastern District of Texas, as usual.
Software patents are an important issue at the moment, so we shall continue covering it. We also wish to share this video where Richard Stallman debunks common myths about software patents.
This is part of a longer talk, but we can't 'Oggify' all of it. Also see this multi-video post containing a similar talk from Richard Stallman on software patents. Therein he addresses a European audience amid lobbying efforts, not a Canadian crowd. He also refers to the directive which was ultimately rejected. ⬆
Microsoft Lunduke does not support Software Freedom; he serves to discredit many ideas championed by Free software or ideals articulated which are apolitical for the most part
"There is not the slightest suggestion that either Dr or Mrs Schestowitz did anything to invite or deserve it. They are both clearly and justifiably angered, dismayed, distressed and hurt by it."
In this part our focus returns to the main theme of this series, namely the current reappointment campaign of the EPO President, as we consider whether Campinos can still expect to enjoy the same level of support from the Portuguese political establishment as he did during the earlier stages of his career
Garrett's expensive hearing (costing the British taxpayers about 120,000 pounds; he doesn't live here and does not pay tax here) slowed us down for a few days, but we've picked up the pace since
When people say the desktop "doesn't matter" they seem to be missing the point that workplaces use desktops (or laptops) and a lot of the work gets done not on skinnerboxes but "workstations" or terminals
Portugal’s success in securing senior executive appointments at the EUIPO and the EPO is a notable example of how countries seek to strengthen their influence within European intergovernmental institutions
