BT Rumored to be Suing 14 Mobile Giants Over Basic Patent

[Guest]

British Telecom is known to be aggressively enforcing its patent base. It appears that the company's lawyers may have found an old patent that, if validated, could mean trouble for cell phone makers and cellular network carriers.

BT Rumored to be Suing 14 Mobile Giants Over Basic Patent : Read more

 

[abbadon_34]

Thanks Apple

 

[doive1231]

I always knew I should have bought BT shares.

 

[Guest]

1996, a whole industry 17 years later, if it is validated, it will be FRAND!

 

[weaselman]

The way of the world today, Got loads of money how do we make some more !
what we will do is patent a technology, software. Then not in force it. Then other company`s will start to adopt it, and use it. Then 17 years later we will file a lawsuit saying it`s patent infringement. And make ten times the amount of money by suing people. The tolls are at it again.

 

[CrArC]

[citation][nom]weaselman[/nom]The way of the world today, Got loads of money how do we make some more !what we will do is patent a technology, software. Then not in force it. Then other company`s will start to adopt it, and use it. Then 17 years later we will file a lawsuit saying it`s patent infringement. And make ten times the amount of money by suing people. The tolls are at it again.[/citation]I think that's the idea of FRAND and other patent laws though- the gist being, if it's your patent you're obligated to protect it (or lose it) and if it's widely used/critical to an industry you're obligated to license it fairly.

 

[davewolfgang]

Just read the update - so it IS a Patent TROLL company that going to try this. These "patents" should've expired a long time ago - especially if they got sold. Isn't it suppose to 10 years on a patent?

 

[Guest]

The patent trolls who file these common sense suits should be fined 100 million dollars if their case is thrown out.

 

[Guest]

And all these cases should be thrown out

 

[SirGCal]

The whole patent system REALLY needs to be entirely redesigned for today's world and unique situations that were never forseen before the technological age. And honestly, they have to stop giving out so many for every little thing and way to do something differently. Everyone who comes up with an idea for something, say a cell phone, every person is going to want that and if they can't get it, the idea will fail. It only works if the public adopts it. If they can't get it or it's limited too much by this rule or that regulation, then it isn't going to succeed. Make the ideas open and let all of the companies compete to make the 'better' version I say. Other companies are going to find a way to make your idea anyhow if it's worth making. Might as well have the competition there to push everyone at the same time to do the best job possible for the world.

Heck, right now it's almost like companies are trying to patent the word 'The' for example. Then 'Company X, Y and Z use the word 'The' in articles, advertising and tools and I WANT MY MONEY!'. It's beyond ridiculous. And these patent farming companies need to basically immediately made ILLEGAL and now. To hold a patent of any type validly, you need to actively make a product using the patent or it should be no longer valid. Period.

That's what I think anyhow...

 

[bllue]

This is why TECH patents should only last a maximum of 5 years.

 

[noob2222]

pretty sure most patents are valid for 14 years.

Steelhead looks like a company formed just for one reason. They can file bankrupcy when their Business model fails miserably for buying expire patents and trying to sue for them.

 

[onichikun]

Yep another lawsuit consumers get to pay for 😉 Wonderful

 

[QEFX]

Explain to me again why we can't just start castrating patent trolls?

 

[shriganesh]

@moricon
I hope you are right!
I hope the judge also punishes Steelhead LLC.
Again one important company missing here is Samsung! What happened to them?