Patent Wars: Visto Sues Microsoft On Mobile Data Access Features

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.visto.com/news/releases/05_12_15_microsoft.html">http://www.visto.com/news/releases/05_12_15_microsoft.html</a><br /><br /><i>"Visto Corporation has filed a legal action against Microsoft for misappropriating Visto’s intellectual property. The complaint asserts that Microsoft has infringed upon multiple patents Visto holds regarding proprietary technology that provides enterprises and consumers with mobile access to their email and other data. The company is seeking a permanent injunction that would prohibit Microsoft from misappropriating the technology that Visto and its cofounder helped develop nearly a decade ago."</i><br /><br />We need a new forum it seems lately for all of the patent lawsuits. :roll: Visto provides middleware that sits between Lotus Domino/Notes or Exchange to a wide variety of mobile devices. Numerous companies use it to enable their mobile workforce and several carriers use it to sell to consumers and professionals that need push services.<br /><br />In particular, Visto is saying that the combination of Windows Mobile 5 and Exchange Server 2003 is a "blatant infringement on Visto’s patented technology." They list several patents, but this to me seems more like they are concerned with bundling, something Microsoft is very good at. What is it about WM5 and Exchange 2003 that is a problem that Pocket PC 2002 through Windows Mobile 2003SE coupled with Microsoft's Mobile Information Manager server didn't have? Nothing it seems. Visto is now concerned with "the rate and manner in which their infringement on Visto’s patents occurs."<br /><br />Violate it with some small sales, giving credibility to the concept, help foster the market and in turn, our own business model is validated. Violate it a whole lot though and it is time to call the lawyers. Just to make sure they weren't in violation of anything though, Visto signed a <a href="http://www.visto.com/news/releases/05_12_14_license.html">licensing agreement with NTP</a>. <i>"This license agreement further reinforces the strength and validity of NTP founder Thomas Campana’s life-long work in the mobile communications industry as an inventor and a visionary,” said Donald E. Stout, co-founder of NTP, Inc. “Additionally, this is a clear win for mobile email users everywhere as it provides them with a viable alternative to RIM that protects them from any NTP litigation risk. Users of Visto Mobile can be assured of access to mobile email and data as they are licensed to use NTP’s intellectual property. We are excited about our ownership stake in Visto’s future.”</i>

[Rob Borek]

The Visto patents look like steaming piles of crap on a cursory glance - they're basically claiming that they invented synchronization (at least one looks like it could apply to directory services as well).

Oh, and Visto's software from what I have heard (and read) is pretty crappy - Rogers Wireless offers it, and most people find other solutions than use the "free" service offered by Rogers.

[Kevin Daly]

Patent laws are currently absurd - it should not be possible to patent a concept, since apart from anything else the truth is that in software the broad outlines of many solutions are determined by the problem - there are only so many ways to do it. And at a given point in time, the logic of the problem and the need to solve it will spontaneously lead to multiple independent implementations of essentially the same idea.

And beyond that, if patent laws had been around when the wheel was invented, wars would still be being fought over the trade routes for copper and tin.
Oh, and come to think of it, Iraq would be the dominant world power (but we'd be calling it Sumer).

[denethor]

4xLOL!
The fact is: Visto is selling their crappy software because of people using Exchange Server! They are fighting with their own tail like cats...It' s just funny.
Solution is simple: Buy them :devilboy:

[LarDude]

I'm thinking of registering a patent for the "double-click" on a mouse! :D
Oh, what !? It's already been done? :(

Oh, I know, I'll patent the "single-click, followed by another click 2 seconds later" !!! :)
And...and...then, I'll patent the "single-click, followed by another click 2.5 seconds later" !!! :D
And so on, and so on...until everybody has to pay me!! Bwwwaaaahahahaha! :twisted:

[wirelessbeachbum]

If all of these patent holders are so smart, why not actually produce an end product and sell it yourself...why wait for patent royalties when you can be then end developer....and make all the profit?

[farnold]

Could someone please post a chart comparing the value of this company compared with the greed of its shareholders? The higher the gap
- the higher the likelyhood they sue someone else
- the smaller the chance they win