Visto Slaps Good Technology With Wireless Email Patent Suit

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.localnewsleader.com/kindred/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&amp;id=134170">http://www.localnewsleader.com/kindred/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&amp;id=134170</a><br /><br /><i>"Mobile e-mail technology firm Visto Corp. said on Tuesday that it had filed a lawsuit against privately held rival Good Technology, alleging that Good‘s products and services infringed on its patents. The move follows privately owned Visto‘s lawsuit against Microsoft Corp in December. It had also accused the software giant of infringing its patents for wireless e-mail."</i><br /><br />I should patent the patent lawsuit process and then sue everyone that files a patent suit, demanding a percentage of the bounty.

[paschott]

So does Visto actually have a case here or are they patent-squatters? I know that the whole RIM vs NTP case is still somewhat valid because NTP was founded by the patent-holders. Those patent-holders had actually come up with a physical product before RIM, but weren't able to market/produce/sell it due to their size. (At least according to various postings, news sources, etc. that I've read.)

If Visto was in the same boat and offered their technology, maybe they have a case. If they just came up with the idea and patented it, I don't have as much sympathy for them.

Facts, anyone?

[Ed Hansberry]

So does Visto actually have a case here or are they patent-squatters?
I don't know specifics, but it would seem Visto has a viable product - http://www.visto.com/ - I don't know of the particular patents in question are actually in use by Visto and are unique, or of they have just done what Amazon tried to do a few years ago by patenting a single click checkout.

[aroma]

Gotta love it. Here's one of the patents in question:


System and method for synchronizing electronic mail between a client site and a central site:
A system includes an e-mail engine which uses a proper protocol to retrieve an e-mail from a first mail store and to store the e-mail in one or more folder structures. Upon request, the first mail store may send configuration data indicating the proper protocol to the e-mail engine, which can then properly configure itself. An e-mail synchronization module uses a predetermined criterion to determine whether the e-mail was previously sent and whether to synchronize the e-mail with a second mail store. The e-mail synchronization module may also synchronize the e-mail of specific folder structures. The second mail store may be located on a global server, which upon proper identification and authentication provides roaming users with access to its contents. A communications module establishes a communications channel through any firewalls with the second mail store. A web engine sends the e-mail via the communications channel to the second mail store.

Nothing like being specific!

[paschott]

Gotta love it. Here's one of the patents in quesion:


System and method for synchronizing electronic mail between a client site and a central site:
A system includes an e-mail engine which uses a proper protocol to retrieve an e-mail from a first mail store and to store the e-mail in one or more folder structures. Upon request, the first mail store may send configuration data indicating the proper protocol to the e-mail engine, which can then properly configure itself. An e-mail synchronization module uses a predetermined criterion to determine whether the e-mail was previously sent and whether to synchronize the e-mail with a second mail store. The e-mail synchronization module may also synchronize the e-mail of specific folder structures. The second mail store may be located on a global server, which upon proper identification and authentication provides roaming users with access to its contents. A communications module establishes a communications channel through any firewalls with the second mail store. A web engine sends the e-mail via the communications channel to the second mail store.

Nothing like being specific!

OK - If I'm reading this correctly, they have a patent on any sort of webmail system that can also support POP3/IMAP access? I think this one may be a little hard to enforce if that's the case.

-Pete

[JonathanWardRogers]

Oh, it gets worse:

System and method for globally and securely accessing unified information in a computer network

Abstract

A client stores a first set of workspace data, and is coupled via a computer network to a global server. The client may be configured to synchronize portions of the first set of workspace data with the global server, which stores independently modifiable copies of the portions. The global server may also store workspace data which is not downloaded from the client, and thus stores a second set of workspace data. The global server may be configured to identify and authenticate a user seeking global server access from a remote terminal, and is configured to provide access to the first set or to the second set. Further, services may be stored anywhere in the computer network. The global server may be configured to provide the user with access to the services. The system may further include a synchronization-start module at the client site (which may be protected by a firewall) that initiates interconnection and synchronization with the global server when predetermined criteria have been satisfied.

So they have patented syncronizing PIM information between multiple locations?!? Uh... Right... Of course they have... Because noone did that before 1996...