Android opens door to IC open source
,----[ Quote ]
| The backers of Android point to the benefits of an open-source model: more
| innovation as more companies develop solutions, faster time-to-market, lower
| price points and even better utilization of the sheer power of the
| applications processors. Indeed, Texas Instruments and Qualcomm hope their
| participation in Android will spur design wins and make it easier to
| incorporate their chips into the wave of Android handset introductions the
| market is likely to see later this year.
`----
http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206504233
In other news about software patents:
Internet Software Patents
,----[ Quote ]
| A couple of months later, I got dragged into the case via subpoena. Now I was
| an unpaid material witness. Because I was the actual developer of one-click
| ordering, not just an expert poring over old documents and publications, I
| would have to testify at least about what I knew.
|
| One-click ordering is as simple as the checkbox that you see on most Web
| sites to "keep me logged in". The server sends the browser a "persistent
| cookie" that the browser returns every subsequent time the user requests a
| page, even if the computer has been restarted in the interim. That way the
| server (online store) can identify the browser (customer) and re-use the
| payment and shipping information from the previous order.
|
| I was asked "Why didn't you patent this yourself, if you developed it first?"
| My reply was "It only took me an hour to build; if I went down to the patent
| office after every hour of programming, I wouldn't get very much done."
|
| Fortunately, the case was settled and I never had to appear in court. I
| decided that maybe next time it would be smarter to take the money and get
| paid for the work.
`----
http://philip.greenspun.com/business/internet-software-patents
Software Patents: Please share experiences and current wisdom!
,----[ Quote ]
| My law practice is in California and I work in various areas including civil
| litigation, business and real property law. I am currently expanding my soft
| IP practice (i.e. software licensing, website language, trademark, etc.),
| which is what I studied in law school back in the '90s. As I'm picking up
| software development clients, the issue of software patenting is coming up.
| The patent attorney I typically refer out to tends to be reluctant to
| recommend software patenting because his typical patent application
| processing time with the USPTO is about 5 years, which tends to extend beyond
| the expected lifespan of the typical software application. Copyright has its
| limitations and I have seen many references to software patenting in LInkedIn
| discussions. What are your experiences and pros/cons relating to software IP
| protection? What is your reaction/response to the USPTO's slow patent
| processing?
`----
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/law-legal/corporate-law/intellectual-property/LAW_COR_IPP/171795-17933948
Friday Miscellany, 2/15/08
,----[ Quote ]
| 2) When Acacia (a California corporation) sued Apple (a California
| corporation) for the second time recently in the Southern District of
| Illinois, I asked out loud in one of my posts, why the SDIL? I think I may
| know the answer: because it's faster than Texas. Document Generation v.
| Allmeds got an 18-month time-to-trial already - June 2009. In Texas, that
| case would have been slated for trial probably six months later than that, at
| least. What remains to be seen is if it's a district that will transfer cases
| out, like WDWI.
`----
http://trolltracker.blogspot.com/2008/02/friday-miscellany-21508.html
Related:
EU: Microsoft Raised IP Rights As Late Defence In European Case
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft’s rival Sun Microsystems had complained to the Commission that the
| US software giant would not grant it data needed to ensure that Windows was
| interoperable.
|
| “Microsoft’s defence was that the information was covered by intellectual
| property rights,” Hellstrom said. “This argument was never used when Sun
| asked for the information. It was only used in the eleventh hour. Microsoft
| showed one patent a day before we adopted our decision [in 2004].”
|
| [...]
|
| Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, a senior researcher with the United Nations University in
| Maastricht, Netherlands, noted that royalty-free standards are already being
| used in the computer industry. For example, the World Wide Web Consortium, a
| body dedicated to greater advancement of the Internet, promotes interoperable
| software.
`----
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=920
Microsoft patents by Brian Jones
,----[ Quote ]
| For fun we just did a quick search of published US patent applications
| with "Brian Jones" as an author, and "Microsoft" as the assignee.
|
| [...]
|
| Some of these, like the packing ones, seem to apply directly to OOXML. What
| isn't clear to us is why Microsoft would pursue patent protection for patents
| rights that their are promising that they won't assert over users of OOXML.
`----
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-35323/microsoft-patents-by-brian-jones
Wishful Spinning
,----[ Quote ]
| OOXML gets adopted. More and more projects are started. Let's see which of
| these would survive without funding. Meanwhile a spin factory sends out
| success stories that most bloggers find worthless to discuss. It is possible
| to get the Krauts on board that are supposed to review OOXML but would OOXML
| survive a review by the crowds?
`----
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-35292/wishful-spinning
Digging in the Comments: Patents
,----[ Quote ]
| Patent licensing is probably the most important aspect for all third parties
| that want to implement or use the Open XML specification. Unfortunately the
| Ballot Resolution Meeting cannot discuss these aspects because only technical
| and editorial issues would get resolved.
|
| [...]
|
| When you have a patent which covers Open XML and you refuse to license it,
| the standard process gets stalled. Large companies in the standardization
| process are reluctant to use that nuke option. Given the ambush that the
| software patent practice means today it is quite possible that Open XML
| infringes a patent and all parties eventually have an obligation to license
| it.
`----
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-31491/digging-in-the-comments:patents
Patent threat looms large over OOXML
,----[ Quote ]
| "If OOXML goes through as an ISO standard, the IT industry, government and
| business will encumbered with a 6000-page specification peppered with
| potential patent liabilities" said NZOSS President Don Christie.
|
| "Patent threats have already been used to spread doubt amongst organisations
| keen to take advantage of the benefits of open source. No one knows whether
| such claims have any merit, but it is calculated to deter the development and
| use of open and alternative toolsets."
`----
http://nzoss.org.nz/node/179
Cyberlaw OOXML Seminar 14 December
,----[ Quote ]
| However, this raises the issue - what assurance does a developer have that
| such a large specification is not the subject of third party patent claims?
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| The pedigree of the specification is certainly no reason for hope, Microsoft
| has been the target of third party patent claims for some time now including
| some high profile losses in patent suits. The fact that the specification has
| been developed behind closed doors and on a fast track means that there has
| been no adequate opportunity to evaluate the likelihood of third party patent
| claims against the specifications. The sheer size of the document suggests
| there will be at least a couple hiding in there somewhere.
`----
http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/cyberlaw-ooxml-seminar-14-december/
ISO warned about possible patent violations of DIS29500 (aka OOXML)
,----[ Quote ]
| I have just send the following email to ISO members (you can find some of
| their email addresses on the INCTIS website) to warn them about the possible
| patent ambush...
`----
http://jeremywang67.blogspot.com/2008/01/iso-warned-about-possible-patent.html
|
|
