11-07-2006, 12:30 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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NTP Sues Palm
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2006/tc20061107_059015.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives
"Here we go again. Just when you thought you had heard the last of NTP�infamous for the lawsuit that nearly squashed the BlackBerry and the company behind it, Canada's Research In Motion (RIMM)�the Virginia-based patent holding company has filed suit against another handheld maker, Palm (PALM), the company behind the Treo smartphone�and the BlackBerry's main rival."
The article goes on to say that the Palm Treo, Tungsten and a few other devices infringe on 7 of NTP's patents. I assume these have nothing to do with Windows Mobile versions of the Treo since NTP would go after Microsoft directly for that. The big difference between RIM and Palm is available cash. Palm couldn't hope to survive a $612,500,000 judgement. As of August 31, Palm had $127M in cash and $400M in short term investments, though I don't know how liquid the latter might be. In any event, a protracted defense could be costly and given NTP has already won against RIM, you certainly can't dismiss this suit as a hopeless money grab. :?
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11-07-2006, 02:14 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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Maybe they just don't want to take on Microsoft  If NTP tried to sue, MS could probably just buy them 
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11-07-2006, 04:39 PM
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Banned
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 372
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NTP isnt just a patent troll, they are patent terrorists! They are destroying innovation through litigation. Patent reform needs to happen NOW and there needs to be a use it or lose it clause just like there is with trademarks.
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11-07-2006, 04:42 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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"Hopeless?" No.
"Money grab?" Definitely.
__________________
Old Market Researchers never die...they just get broken down by age and sex.
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11-07-2006, 06:01 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Brad Adrian
"Hopeless?" No.
"Money grab?" Definitely.
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Exactly!
Patent laws were setup to protect people from vultures. Not for vultures to use as tools of extortion.
Dave
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11-07-2006, 10:20 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 22
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This is stupid. It's like they're patent campers. :evil:
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11-07-2006, 11:51 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 444
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by inteller
NTP isnt just a patent troll, they are patent terrorists! They are destroying innovation through litigation. Patent reform needs to happen NOW and there needs to be a use it or lose it clause just like there is with trademarks.
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I thought we went through all this in the NTP vs. RIM threads.
NTP is not a company that came up with an idea just waiting for someone else to use it so they could sue.
According to this article:
Quote:
It (NTP) was co-founded by Thomas J. Campana Jr., a Chicago-area engineer who in 1990 created a system to send e-mails between computers and wireless devices. His wireless e-mail innovations were shown at the well-known Comdex computer show in Las Vegas.
Campana was working for his own company, but his primary customer, a wireless carrier called Telefind, was unraveling. To protect his work, he formed NTP along with a northern Virginia attorney, Don Stout.
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If you developed a product for a company which then goes under, does that mean that your product is now fair game for anyone to copy?
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11-08-2006, 12:21 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Mark Kenepp
If you developed a product for a company which then goes under, does that mean that your product is now fair game for anyone to copy?
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I think the counterpoint turns that argument on its head: if you once made a prototype that never really took off, does that make you privy to essentially free money off of other people's hard work for a long time thereafter? Or, if you invent something that's not exactly revolutionary (1-Click) does that mean you have absolute rights to that process?
The answer lies somewhere in the middle -- and, like others in this thread, I'm not convinced the current state of affairs is the best thing. I do agree NTP isn't your classic patent troll, but I don't exactly like the fact that the rest of the industry will be hostage to NTP for the foreseeable future for something that will be ultimately ubiquitous.
--janak
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11-08-2006, 12:37 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,162
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by inteller
NTP isnt just a patent troll, they are patent terrorists!
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Geez.. that's just what we need, another front on that war! :roll:
Sorry if that was a touch political, couldn't resist  ops:
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11-08-2006, 01:38 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 444
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
...if you once made a prototype that never really took off, does that make you privy to essentially free money off of other people's hard work for a long time thereafter? ...
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Yes, as long as the patent is valid.
To be fair, it is not really free money. You need to prove that there was an infringement on your patent. If you can do that, then you need to prove that there are monetary damages.
When the whole NTP vs. RIM thing came up, I was appalled that something like this could happen and that NTP was even attempting to claim any damages. After reading more about the case and NTP, I realized that they appeared to have a claim.
I agree with you that if you are looking for a poster child for patent litigation reform, NTP would not be the best choice, and I too hate to think that the industry will be held hostage by NTP for the foreseeable future.
Would the industry still be held hostage if NTP was able to successfully produce and market their product, it just ended up that RIM came up with something better and everyone bought a Blackberry instead of a NTPberry?
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