patents | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 26 Sep 2022 07:06:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png patents | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Bungie’s latest patent filings hint at Destiny mobile game https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bungies-latest-patent-filings-hint-at-destiny-mobile-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/bungies-latest-patent-filings-hint-at-destiny-mobile-game/#respond Fri, 23 Sep 2022 15:19:29 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=575549 Earlier this year, we began hearing whispers about a Destiny mobile game, which Bungie is apparently working on in collaboration with NetEase, a company you'll all know and love following the launch of Diablo Immortal. Now, new patent filings suggest Bungie is indeed working on bringing Destiny to mobile in some form.  As reported by …

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Earlier this year, we began hearing whispers about a Destiny mobile game, which Bungie is apparently working on in collaboration with NetEase, a company you'll all know and love following the launch of Diablo Immortal. Now, new patent filings suggest Bungie is indeed working on bringing Destiny to mobile in some form. 

As reported by The Game Post, Bungie has filed six new patents this year, all relating to touchscreen controls and virtual controller input. The patents suggest Bungie is planning an auto-sprint feature, with a virtual thumbstick for a first-person shooter on mobile. Bungie also seems to be experimenting with auto aiming and swipe/drag gestures for performing certain in-game actions.

All of these features will sound familiar to you if you've played modern mobile shooters like Call of Duty Mobile, which also has features like auto aim and sprint. Presumably, Bungie's mobile shooter will also support physical controllers, as most mobile devices can now link up with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and other third-party controllers.

Aside from potentially bringing Destiny to mobile, Bungie is also working on a new IP called ‘Matter'. Prior to joining Sony, Bungie planned to transition into a multi-game studio by 2025, so we should hear more about Bungie's non-Destiny projects and other spin-offs over the next few years.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Mobile devices are very powerful nowadays, to the point where you can run high-fidelity games without issue. Still, this will almost certainly be a cut-down spin-off of some sort and not the full Destiny game we all know today. 

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BlackBerry cutting staff following buyout rumors https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/blackberry-cutting-staff-following-buyout-rumors/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/blackberry-cutting-staff-following-buyout-rumors/#comments Tue, 26 May 2015 21:05:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=251280 BlackBerry has fallen pretty far since its glory days several years ago. However, the company's brand, along with its thousands of patents, are still worth a fair chunk of cash, which is why we've been hearing about several big tech firms looking in to acquiring the company. Microsoft, Apple and Lenovo are just some of …

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BlackBerry has fallen pretty far since its glory days several years ago. However, the company's brand, along with its thousands of patents, are still worth a fair chunk of cash, which is why we've been hearing about several big tech firms looking in to acquiring the company.

Microsoft, Apple and Lenovo are just some of the big names floating around as potential buyers and now it looks like BlackBerry is attempting to make itself look like more of an attractive purchase by letting go of staff worldwide in an effort to return to profitability.

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BlackBerry's most recent device, ‘The Passport' actually sold quite well. 

BlackBerry confirmed the layoffs in a statement sent to Re/code: “We have made the decision to consolidate our device software, hardware and applications business, impacting a number of employees around the world. As the company moves into its next stage of the turnaround, our intention is to reallocate resources in ways that will best enable us to capitalize on growth opportunities while driving toward sustainable profitability across all facets of our business.”

BlackBerry has around 7000 employees and has yet to confirm how many will be let go. However, it will need to be a significant amount in order to return the device division to profitability. Several Chinese manufacturers are looking at BlackBerry as a potential acquisition to help them break in to the American market. Additionally, Microsoft might be looking to boost its mobile division, which currently houses the remnants of Nokia.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: BlackBerry might not seem like a smart purchase on the surface, the company has been stuck in a downwards spiral for years and the brand doesn't carry the weight that it once did. However, I'm sure there are plenty of tech companies our there that could find a use for BlackBerry's 44,000 strong patent library. 

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AMD clarifies cross-license with Intel: change of control terminates agreement for both https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-clarifies-cross-license-with-intel-change-of-control-terminates-agreement-for-both/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-clarifies-cross-license-with-intel-change-of-control-terminates-agreement-for-both/#comments Thu, 21 May 2015 20:02:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=250626 Advanced Micro Devices has clarified terms of the cross-license agreement with Intel Corp. on Thursday. As it appears, if either AMD or Intel change their control (i.e., gets acquired), the cross-license agreement between the two companies is automatically terminated for both parties. AMD and Intel have a cross-licensing agreement, which guarantees that the companies will …

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Advanced Micro Devices has clarified terms of the cross-license agreement with Intel Corp. on Thursday. As it appears, if either AMD or Intel change their control (i.e., gets acquired), the cross-license agreement between the two companies is automatically terminated for both parties.

AMD and Intel have a cross-licensing agreement, which guarantees that the companies will not pursue litigation for any potential patent infringements. The agreement covers entire patent portfolio for both companies, which includes general-purpose processors, graphics adapters and other intellectual property. For example, AMD can design and sell microprocessors compatible with Intel’s x86 instruction set architecture and featuring a variety of extensions, whereas Intel can develop and ship central processing units that utilize IP and extensions initially created by AMD . The cross-licensing agreement has a number of terms and limitations. For example, the chip designers are not allowed to build processors that are compatible with competitor’s infrastructure (e.g., sockets, mainboards, etc.). Besides, if AMD and Intel change their ownership , the agreement terminated.

amd_headquarters

Under the terms of the agreement between the x86 chip developers, if the two companies merge with other companies on certain terms, enter into certain kind of joint-venture agreements that effectively change their ownership or get acquired, the cross-licensing agreement is terminated. On Wednesday, it was reported that the agreement is terminated only for the party that changes its control. However, according to Drew Prairie, director of corporate communications at AMD, once ownership of either AMD or Intel changes, the whole agreement is terminated for both parties. As a result, after a transaction happens, the companies need to negotiate a new cross-licensing agreement.

“Actually, the agreement is pretty clear – if there is a change of control for either company the agreement is terminated,” said Mr. Prairie. “That does not mean a new agreement could not be reached, but in a change of control the agreement is terminated.”

amd_lone_star_campus

Many analysts believe that multiple companies and strategic investors hold off from acquiring AMD because without a cross-license agreement with Intel, the company can be sued by Intel for patent infringement, which could ultimately result in inability to sell x86-compatible processors . Moreover, without the cross-license agreement, AMD can sue Intel for patent infringement too. If AMD gets acquired and the agreement is terminated, Intel will have to either find a way to not use AMD’s IP (which is a rather hard thing to do) or ink a new deal.

The only scenario under which the cross-license agreement is terminated for only one party is upon a breach of contract.

All-in-all, while possible complications with cross-license agreement between AMD and Intel might be a problem for potential AMD investors, Intel is not immune from similar complications.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Keeping in mind that it is tremendously hard to compete against Intel Corp., it is unlikely that any company would like to acquire AMD, at least unless demand for personal computers picks up. However, even if AMD becomes a part of a larger entity, its cross-license agreement with Intel – which remains a two-edged sword – could be reached on new terms.

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Ericsson files lawsuit against Apple over license payments https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/ericsson-files-lawsuit-against-apple-over-license-payments/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/ericsson-files-lawsuit-against-apple-over-license-payments/#comments Fri, 08 May 2015 15:40:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=248675 Ericsson has gone ahead and filed lawsuits in three countries, accusing Apple of holding out on license payments. Ericsson currently holds a number of patents for technologies that Apple continues to use, previously the company had offered to try to work things out with Apple outside of court but that is no longer an option. …

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Ericsson has gone ahead and filed lawsuits in three countries, accusing Apple of holding out on license payments. Ericsson currently holds a number of patents for technologies that Apple continues to use, previously the company had offered to try to work things out with Apple outside of court but that is no longer an option.

The lawsuits have been filed across Europe in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. Kasim Alfalahi, Ericsson's Head of IP gave a statement to the BBC: “Our technology is used in many features and functionality of today's communication devices”, this dispute with Apple has been going on for a couple of years now and Ericsson is apparently confident about its chances in court.

Ericsson

The patents in question cover accessing apps on phones, streaming video to a handheld device along with chip design. Ericsson itself owns around 35,000 mobile patents, despite not being a big competitor in the mobile phone market these days.

Ericsson has previously filed a lawsuit against Apple in the US, so this legal battle is carrying over four countries in total and will take quite some time to resolve. It is currently estimated that Apple may end up having to pay Ericsson as much as $725 million per year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Ericsson won a legal battle with Samsung last year, resulting in a $650 million payout over patent licenses. However, Apple has a habit of dragging out lawsuits so who knows when we will see a resolution to this.

Via: The BBC

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On-Live to shut down, Sony acquires patents https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/on-live-to-shut-down-sony-acquires-patents/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/on-live-to-shut-down-sony-acquires-patents/#respond Fri, 03 Apr 2015 08:14:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=243504 On-Live has been struggling ever since launch, the cloud gaming service never really performed up to par and as a result, most people gave up on the service and the idea of cloud-gaming entirely. Now, the company is finally closing its doors this month and Sony will be picking up its patents. Sony's interest in …

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On-Live has been struggling ever since launch, the cloud gaming service never really performed up to par and as a result, most people gave up on the service and the idea of cloud-gaming entirely. Now, the company is finally closing its doors this month and Sony will be picking up its patents.

Sony's interest in purchasing parts of the On-Live company isn't surprising, Sony has made a big push for cloud gaming recently with its purchase of Gaikai and the launch of PlayStation Now, which recently hit Europe in closed beta form.

onlive2

Exact terms of the transactions were not mentioned in the press release but it did confirm that On-Live is no more:

Users will continue to have access to OnLive’s services until April 30, 2015, including the OnLive Game Service, OnLive Desktop, and SL Go (Second Life). After today’s date, no further subscription renewals will be charged for any of these services. Users whose subscriptions renewed on or after March 28 will be refunded. Following the termination of the company’s services and related products, OnLive will engage in an orderly wind-down of the company and cease operations.”

Obviously, this does mean that those who bought access to titles through On-Live will no longer be able to play them, which was always one of the big dangers of the service. We don't know what Sony will do with the technology and ideas it has purchased from On-Live, or how it will improve PS Now but Sony probably has something up its sleeve.

If you would like to read more on what we think about cloud gaming, then you can check out our analysis of Nvidia's GRID service, HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: On-Live never really did take off so seeing the company shut down isn't too surprising. I tried out the service a couple of times some time ago and it didn't really work well enough to justify spending any money on access to the games library. Maybe On-Live's patents will somehow help Sony improve its own cloud gaming service. Did any of you guys use On-Live? What did you think of it? 

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Google and LG to share patents for the next decade https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/google-and-lg-to-share-patents-for-the-next-decade/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/google-and-lg-to-share-patents-for-the-next-decade/#respond Wed, 05 Nov 2014 13:28:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=220415 Google and LG have entered in to a new cross-licensing deal, allowing the two companies to freely use each other's patents, including old and new ones, for the next ten years. There's no official word on why the two entered this new partnership but there are some possibilities. For a start, it is likely that …

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Google and LG have entered in to a new cross-licensing deal, allowing the two companies to freely use each other's patents, including old and new ones, for the next ten years. There's no official word on why the two entered this new partnership but there are some possibilities.

For a start, it is likely that the two companies want to borrow features from each other and this new agreement removes the chance of massive on-going lawsuits. Additionally, this deal could help Google ensure that LG doesn't start taking Android in its own direction. Google made a similar deal with Samsung to keep it from replacing Google services with its own software.

nexus-5-

Google and LG have partnered in the past, working closely on the Nexus 5 device. LG was also one of the first companies to release an Android Wear smart watch. While LG hasn't been in a rush to stay too far from stock Android, this new deal will ensure that it doesn't.

It's good to see Google cooperating with other phone makers to share patents and help push technology and better services, rather than constantly battling things out in court. Hopefully this will lead to a more unified Android experience and better services for everyone.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It's important for Google to cooperate with the most popular Android device makers to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to future plans for the OS. With more of these deals coming in to place, we'll be hearing about less patent disputes and hopefully seeing better services and devices instead. What do you guys think of this? Should Google make patent sharing deals with more Android handset makes?

Source: LG

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Apple sued over location technology patents https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-sued-over-location-technology-patents/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-sued-over-location-technology-patents/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:35:18 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=206750 Apple is facing a lawsuit over its use of  mobile location detection technology as Colorado based company, TracBeam, has filed for patent infringement. TracBeam previously filed suits against Google, T-Mobile and AT&T earlier this year over the same patents. The company's complaint states that Apple is infringing on four of its patents: US Patent No. …

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Apple is facing a lawsuit over its use of  mobile location detection technology as Colorado based company, TracBeam, has filed for patent infringement. TracBeam previously filed suits against Google, T-Mobile and AT&T earlier this year over the same patents.

The company's complaint states that Apple is infringing on four of its patents:

  • US Patent No. 8,032,153, entitled “Multiple Location Estimatorsfor Wireless Location” (the ‘153 patent).
  • US Patent No. 7,764,231, entitled “Wireless Location Using MultipleMobile Station Location Techniques” (the ‘231 patent).
  • US Patent No. 7,525,484, entitled “Gateway and Hybrid Solutionsfor Wireless Location” (the ‘484 patent).
  • US Patent No. 7,298,327, entitled “Geographic Location UsingMultiple Location Estimators” (the ‘327 patent).

HT5594--maps_location_permission--en

These patents cover the use of base stations to reflect signals in order to estimate where a mobile handset is located. Most of these patents were filed for back to the 1990's and were issued between 2007 and 2011.

As you would expect, TracBeam is looking for money to compensate for the use of its technology and also wants an injunction to prevent the sale of devices that infringe on its patents. Apple uses location based technology on both iOS and Mac OS in the following apps: “Maps, Siri, Safari, Find My iPhone, Camera, and the iAds network.” 

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: TracBeam recently settled a similar case with Google, although the terms of the settlement have yet to be disclosed. It's likely that Apple will quietly settle this case in a similar fashion, rather than dragging it out in the court room for years.

Source: The Register

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Samsung wants us to start waving at our watches https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-wants-us-to-start-waving-at-our-watches/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-wants-us-to-start-waving-at-our-watches/#comments Tue, 27 May 2014 10:44:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=195314 Samsung has a history of filling its flagship devices with gimmicky gesture based controls that people rarely find a good use for and now, it wants to bring similar features to its smart-watches. The Korean based device maker has patented a circular smart-watch to battle with the Moto 360 and will be adding some new …

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Samsung has a history of filling its flagship devices with gimmicky gesture based controls that people rarely find a good use for and now, it wants to bring similar features to its smart-watches. The Korean based device maker has patented a circular smart-watch to battle with the Moto 360 and will be adding some new features.

First up, here's a look at Samsung's new watch design:

samsung_smartwatchpatent-900-80

It has a circular face and on the screen we see what could either be a front facing camera or a home button.

Like with the Galaxy Gear line, there will still be a camera on the side of the device, which will allow you to wave your hand around your watch in order to control certain things:

Samsung_watchpatent_not169-900-100

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Other sensors on the new watch could include a barcode reader, translation tools, fitness tracker, image search and object recognition. It has also been suggested that this new device will be more than just a watch, it could also act as an arm band or even a necklace. As far as operating systems go, it's not clear as to whether this watch will sport Android Wear or Samsung's own Tizen operating system but we'll likely find out some time this year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Samsung's strength doesn't lie in its own software lineup, many complain about Touch Wiz and the bloatware that comes with it. So it might be better for the company to go with Android Wear. That said, I don't see anyone wanting to wave their hands around a watch to control things when they could just tap the screen. What do you guys think? Should smart watches have gesture based controls? Or should companies not bother and just stick to touch screens?

Sources: TR, Sammymobile

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Nintendo to face yet another lawsuit https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/nintendo-to-face-yet-another-lawsuit/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/nintendo-to-face-yet-another-lawsuit/#respond Thu, 15 May 2014 15:22:27 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=193386 Philips, the Dutch electronics firm, is attempting to get the sale of Nintendo's Wii U banned in the US. Nintendo has once again been targeted by a company that thinks it owns patents relating to technologies found inside of its consoles. The patents that Philips own end in 379 and 231, the electronics company supposedly informed …

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Philips, the Dutch electronics firm, is attempting to get the sale of Nintendo's Wii U banned in the US. Nintendo has once again been targeted by a company that thinks it owns patents relating to technologies found inside of its consoles.

The patents that Philips own end in 379 and 231, the electronics company supposedly informed Nintendo that it had infringed on Patent 379 as far back as 2011. Parent 231 is actually a lot more recent, the Dutch firm filed for it last year, covering interactive device pointing, which is a huge part of the Wii systems.

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Philips is looking to have the sale of Wii U's banned in the US but isn't seeking the same treatment in other territories. Monetary compensation is also being sought after, Nintendo doesn't always win these cases, it has been attacked several times in the last few years but it actually lost a big case, which led to the company having to give up a percentage of  money earned on 3DS sales.

“The infringing interactive virtual modeling products of Nintendo include but are not limited to motion-controlled gaming consoles and motion-detecting devices such as the Wii video gaming systems and related software and accessories including, for example, the Wii console, Wii Remote Plus Controller, Wii Remote Controller, Wii Nunchuk Controller, Wii MotionPlus, Wii Balance Board, Wii U console, Wii U GamePad, and Wii Mini. The infringement by Nintendo has been deliberate and willful.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Another company trying to attack Nintendo over patents, it won't get Philips very far though, Wii U sales have been terrible and Nintendo just recently announced a fiscal year loss. We'll have to wait and see how this one pans out, do you guys think Philips could succeed?

Source: The Inquirer

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Microsoft spends $150 million on wearable tech assets https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/matthew-wilson/microsoft-spends-150-million-on-wearable-tech-assets/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/development/matthew-wilson/microsoft-spends-150-million-on-wearable-tech-assets/#respond Tue, 01 Apr 2014 11:46:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=185352 Microsoft is starting to make moves in the wearable tech and virtual reality space as it has reportedly spent $150 million on augmented reality and head-mounted computing technology patents. The intellectual properties and patents were bought from Osterhout Design Group, a not so well known tech company that worked with industrial and military clients. Sources speaking …

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Microsoft is starting to make moves in the wearable tech and virtual reality space as it has reportedly spent $150 million on augmented reality and head-mounted computing technology patents. The intellectual properties and patents were bought from Osterhout Design Group, a not so well known tech company that worked with industrial and military clients.

Sources speaking to TechCrunch said that Microsoft was originally in talks to buy the whole company in September last year, however, it decided to buy some of its in-house technology instead. The deal is said to be costing Microsoft somewhere between $100 million and $150 million.

Some of the patents Microsoft is said to have acquired illustrate technologies such as: “See-through near-eye display glasses including a partially reflective, partially transmitting optical element” and “Video display modification based on sensor input for a see-through near-to-eye display.”

device-with-wearable-e1395924430539

Facebook creator and now Oculus VR owner, Mark Zuckerberg, isn't all that impressed with Microsoft's efforts though: “Microsoft hasn’t even gotten to the point where they have anything to demo yet.” He goes on to say that both Microsoft and Sony are creating Console focused VR solutions, Zuckerberg believes that these VR headsets should act as the console itself. “What we basically believe is that unlike the Microsoft or Sony pure console strategies, if you want to make this a real computing platform, you need to fuse both of those things together.”

KitGuru Says: It looks like Microsoft may be gearing up to join Sony and Oculus with its on virtual reality headset. However, like Zuckerberg said, Microsoft doesn't have anything to demo yet so it might be a while before we see anything. That said, maybe the company will surprise us at E3. 

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Patent trolls could foot entire legal bill in future https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/patent-trolls-could-foot-entire-legal-bill-in-future/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/patent-trolls-could-foot-entire-legal-bill-in-future/#respond Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:00:40 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=126854 A new update to the Shield Act in American patent law could see those that buy up patents in an effort to extort cash payouts from companies become liable for the entire legal costs of both sides – but only if they lose the court case. The reason behind this plan to to help deter …

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A new update to the Shield Act in American patent law could see those that buy up patents in an effort to extort cash payouts from companies become liable for the entire legal costs of both sides – but only if they lose the court case.

The reason behind this plan to to help deter those that use the patent system in a nefarious manner, which has somewhat become the norm among big mobile manufacturers like Samsung and Apple. Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes bill is the name of the catchy bit of legislation and was introduced by Jason Chaffetz and Peter DeFazio.

“Patent trolls add no economic benefit to our nation,” said Chaffetz (via Wired). “They have captured part of the system, and they're exploiting it for their own financial gain. They're hampering the innovation that our country deserves. Literally every segment of our society's business is being attacked by these patent trolls.”

Patent
Whoever patented this was a genius

As part of the new bill, it would be made possible for defendants in a case to identify their opponent as a patent troll. If they succeed, said troll would then become liable for all legal costs if they prove unsuccessful in their claim.

Of course it could also be exploited the other way, turning legitimate patent disputes into patent troll name calling. However, to help prevent this, a guideline of what isn't a troll has been released. Such caveats include: original inventors, proof of patent exploitation by a third party or if the accused is a university of similar organisation.

KitGuru Says: About time something was done about this. Patent courts have just become another money making avenue for some firms, when in reality it should be there to help prevent companies exploiting smaller firms.

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Even Microsoft thinks patent lawsuits are silly https://www.kitguru.net/channel/blair-mcclelland/even-microsoft-thinks-patent-lawsuits-are-silly/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/blair-mcclelland/even-microsoft-thinks-patent-lawsuits-are-silly/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:12:33 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=78270 Microsoft has always appears to be against patent lawsuits and attempting to get injunctions against competitors' products. So much so, earlier this year we learnt that Microsoft turns over more revenue from patent licencing fees from the likes of Samsung and HTC than it gets from its own Windows Phone 7 platform. The personal computing giant …

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Microsoft has always appears to be against patent lawsuits and attempting to get injunctions against competitors' products. So much so, earlier this year we learnt that Microsoft turns over more revenue from patent licencing fees from the likes of Samsung and HTC than it gets from its own Windows Phone 7 platform.

The personal computing giant is publicly supporting the invention of industry standards and says it will not seek injunctions against a company that infringes on essential patents.

“Industry standards are vitally important to the development of the Internet and to interoperability among mobile devices and other computers. The international standards system works well because firms that contribute to standards promise to make their essential patents available to others on fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms. Consumers and the entire industry will suffer if, in disregard of this promise, firms seek to block others from shipping products on the basis of such standard essential patents.”

In reference to the above quote Microsoft made three core promises, these are:

  • They will make their standard essential patents to all firms “on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory terms.”
  • Microsoft will license these patents regardless of whether the other party licences their patents back to Microsoft or not.
  • Microsoft vows that they will not seek injunctions against firms or products that use said patents.

If you want a more detailed and lengthy explanation be sure to read this Microsoft blog post.

Kitguru says: A very smart move by Microsoft, unfortunately Apple is unlikely to take up this view anytime soon.

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