Patent Troll Sues Dell, HP, 10 Others Over 3G, 4G CDMA Tech
Golden Bridge Technologies (GBT), an intellectual property company focused on CDMA technologies, has launched a lawsuit claiming rights to an CDMA enhancement technology that is used in 3G and 4G networks.
GBT is targeting Samsung, ZTE, Sony, HP, RIM, LG, HTC, Pantech, Dell, Huawei, Sierra Wireless, as well as Motorola, alleging infringement of its 6,574,267 and 7,359,427 patents, both entitled "Rach ramp-up acknowledgement." The patents, which have gone through an extensive revision period over the past few years, were filed in 1999 and 2003, respectively, and granted in 2003 and 2008, respectively. the documents describe a CDMA system using spread-spectrum modulation that achieves "reliable high data throughput and low delay."
This specific system consists of an approach of:
"receiving at a first RS (remote station)-spread-spectrum receiver the broadcast common-synchronization channel, and determining frame timing from the frame-timing signal, and transmitting from a first RS-spread-spectrum transmitter an access-burst signal.
The access-burst signal has a plurality of segments, which have a plurality of power levels. At the BS (base station)-spread-spectrum receiver the access-burst signal is received at a detected-power level. In response to receiving the access-burst signal, the BS-spread-spectrum transmitter transmits to the first RS-spread-spectrum receiver an acknowledgment signal.
The first RS-spread-spectrum receiver receives the acknowledgment signal, and in response to receiving the acknowledgment signal, the first RS-spread-spectrum transmitter transmits to the BS-spread-spectrum receiver, a spread-spectrum signal having data."
GBT alleges that, in total, more than 200 3G and 4G LTE cell phones and tablets offered by the lawsuit targets are infringing on its patent. The company asks for triple damages for "willful" past and present patent infringement. There is no request to halt any product shipments and sales.
GBT, based in Long Branch, New Jersey is a relatively old IP company by today's standards. The firm owns 50 patents in the CDMA space and was formed in 1995 "by a consortium of telecommunication technology investors, scientists and intellectual property attorneys." Its primary business is "the creation, licensing and enforcement of Wideband CDMA technology and intellectual property," but it does not actively manufacture any products.
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
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alhanelem the patent system is like the rules toddlers use for the possession of toys.Reply
THATS MINE, MINE and MINE! -
Gundam288 I think the fun part is going to be motorola as they split the company in 2011. (one is now phones (mobility, which is now owned by google.), the other is radios (soultions, which currently uses the old corp. HQ and still makes radios there, shocking i know....))Reply
Dunno how that is going to work out, but it should be intresting how it plays out if the court DOES find GBT is right. (doubt it tho) -
subaru41 LOL. When I read "Patent troll sues...." the first thing that popped in my head was that this article was about Apple Inc.Reply -
TheZander "...but it does not actively manufacture any products."Reply
This is the line they should focus on right here. What good is a patent if you're not making and selling anything with it? You're not using it to further your business. You're not even manufacturing and selling goods to the public that are related to the patent. Its purpose is simply to troll and sue. -
wesleywatson TheZander"...but it does not actively manufacture any products."This is the line they should focus on right here. What good is a patent if you're not making and selling anything with it? You're not using it to further your business. You're not even manufacturing and selling goods to the public that are related to the patent. Its purpose is simply to troll and sue.Some companies make money by doing research and development, and the ability to hold a patent allows them to do the work that they do. They create new technologies, and then license them to companies to manufacture. It's a prime example of division of labor. What if these are real scientists and engineers protecting their work from being taken by all these companies?Reply -
walter87 LOL file a lawsuit to the actual phone/device manufacturers and not Qualcomm...Reply
Qualcomm designed CDMA and holds most patents for that form of spread-spectrum modulation.
Qualcomm should release a statement to back up their suppliers and make this troll go away. -
KNO3 Reply"...but it does not actively manufacture any products."This is the line they should focus on right here. What good is a patent if you're not making and selling anything with it? You're not using it to further your business. You're not even manufacturing and selling goods to the public that are related to the patent. Its purpose is simply to troll and sue.
This is like saying that if my neighbor doesn't ever drive his truck and it just sits in is driveway I should be able to drive it to work everyday without permission.