MSFT Founder Sues Google, Apple, eBay, YouTube
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen made headlines this past weekend when it emerged that his company is suing several of the biggest names in the tech industry over patent infringement.
The name Interval Research may not mean anything to you. Don't worry, it didn't mean much to most people until Friday afternoon, as it's been defunct for 10 years. IR was started by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and David Liddle, the man responsible for developing the Xerox Star computer system in the early '90s. Founded in 1992, it focused on the Internet and consumer technology applications. Though the company was dissolved in April of 2000, it has filed suit against no more than 11 major tech companies, including Google, Yahoo! and Apple.
The suit, filed Friday in Western District of Washington, accuses AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo, and YouTube of violating Interval Research Patents relating to multimedia, databases and screen activity.
The specific patents covered by the lawsuit are listed below:
-- U.S. Patent No. 6,263,507, for "Browser for Use in Navigating a Body of Information, With Particular Application to Browsing Information Represented By Audiovisual Data."
-- U.S. Patent No. 6,034,652, for "Attention Manager for Occupying the Peripheral Attention of a Person in the Vicinity of a Display Device."
-- U.S. Patent No. 6,788,314, for "Attention Manager for Occupying the Peripheral Attention of a Person in the Vicinity of a Display Device."
-- U.S. Patent No. 6,757,682, for "Alerting Users to Items of Current Interest."
IDG reports that a representative for Google has criticized the suit, declaring, "Innovation not litigation."
"This lawsuit against some of America's most innovative companies reflects an unfortunate trend of people trying to compete in the courtroom instead of the marketplace. Innovation -- not litigation -- is the way to bring to market the kinds of products and services that benefit millions of people around the world," a spokesperson for the search giant said.
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I really hope they choke on this litigation. Too bad you can sue anyone for anything these days.
Paul can suck it, suck it, and suck it some more.
Oh Paul, We don't hear from you for decades, then you should up with this?
For shame.
I should make a boatload of vauge patents about using (insert application category) on cell phones then wait 10 years and file suit against everyone in the world. Sooner or later the court system will realize the patent system is fudged, but onyl after the lawyers finish destroying everything it was supposed to stand for.
Say what you want about patent trolls, those are some meaty patents. The statement by Google made me laugh in that they didn't deny anything. You would figure these billion dollar companies would go through the patent system to make sure something they are doing doesn't violate anything.
Lawyers are making the big bucks now days.
I guess he not rich enough yet, he needs a few more million to use as toilet paper. seriously these rich guys only think of one thing making more money than they or several generations of their grand kids can spend in their life time.
"
I was wondering where Microsoft was going to get the $1 Bil cash to market/postrelease develop the Windows 7 Phone. Poor XBox Live Users
"
XBox Live Users, Google, Apple, Ebay, YouTube, etc*.
Fixed
I hope he's doing this just to make a point. Maybe this will help set a precedent.
IDG reports that a representative for Google has criticized the suit, declaring, "Innovation not litigation."
That representative will eat those words when Google sues for patent infringement.
6,034,652 = 6,788,314?
They are all STUPID.
If only I held the patent on the manure spreader...I could take on the whole Internet...
Say what you want about patent trolls, those are some meaty patents.
U.S. Patent No. 6,263,507
They patented an audio / visual table of contents for news.
http://patft.uspto.gov/
Those patent titles seem awfully vague, i dont think this is going to last very long especially against the collective legal teams of those 11 companies.
Patents: The new way to invest for retirement.
Oh Paul, We don't hear from you for decades, then you should up with this?For shame.
should up?
Show up?
As if they need any more money or need to constrict the market any more
Title is misleading saying MSFT Founder is suingand the subtitle says co-founder is suing, so who is it then? or are they both?
Also the patents sound really stupid, cheap shot, M$. Those things should be like the wheel. Or is someone going to sue everyone in the world for using wheels too?
I suppose Mr. Allen must regret agreeing to give away half of his fortune...
The government, courts or someone needs to put an end to this wave of patent trolling over the past few years. If the slow economy doesnt kill all the tech companies off they'll slowly but surly sue themselves too scard to invent/invest or into the ground. One or the other.
Also - What the heck is going on at United States Patent and Trademark Office?
It all started with hot coffee. After that, it was just a matter of time before all the crazies decided to try to get whatever they could from whomever they could.
You don't get rich these days by being honest and working hard. It is to the contrary except for to be a master thief. Wait a decade from the milk cows to develop the technology and deploy it commercially then right when the time is right pounce to haul in the catch.
Say what you want about patent trolls, those are some meaty patents. The statement by Google made me laugh in that they didn't deny anything. You would figure these billion dollar companies would go through the patent system to make sure something they are doing doesn't violate anything.
***thumbs up for usfull message if if its a message people dont want to hear***
Notice this guy not working at MS for a long while is not suing MS or any MS friendly company, even though they may technically be violating them.
We need someone with balls to get up on Capitol hill and get them to eliminate Software process patents. Get rid of most of this. Software process patents like this are just ways to litigate your competitors out of existance and provide BIG major barriers for new companies.
If someone spent enough time, and patents were rigorously sifted through, I doubt there would be a single business today that you could start because of some junk patent like this.
Then again, these are lawyers you're telling this to...
Does the patent system need to be changed? Of course it does but in the meantime Allen is going to win big time. I think it should it changed to unless you release a product based on the patent you hold you should have to forfeit that patent after a certain numbers of years. If any of you held a patent and one of those major players was infringing on it you'd be doing that same thing..lol Come down off your soap boxes..lol
Now if only the founder of Wireless would sue them for what they have did to it...
So, good ole' Paul has the internet patented. Well, Toms has a search engine, and they alert users of items of current interest.I dont have a clue whatever the 2nd and 3rd patents are. But, seriously, the guy just gave away half his fortune, does he already think the billions he has left is too little?!
Steve Jobs should counter-sue for Paul stealing the MAC OS with Windows
Google should sue him for Bing.
Yahoo should sue him for the fun of it
Facebook should de-friend him
AOL can't sue anyone they are broke
Officemax, depot and staples shouldn't even show up in court
Netflix should give him a free subscription
YouTube should counter by re-releasing the video of Windows 98 getting a BSOD when first being shown.
Has anyone thought of filing for the patent: "Suing companies over patent infringements"?
I hope that he gets laughed out of the courtroom.
I normally don't read Toms for their opinions but they're dead on with the last paragraph.