In case you haven't seen it:
http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7dVm/2013-mercedes-benz-e-350-patents
I was casually watching tv) and this ad showed during the commercial break. Usually, I pay no attention to ads, but this one caught my eye. Most probable because it talks about patents!
In this ad, Mercedes- Benz claims to own over 80,000 patents and that's why they're car is so great. It's interesting to me that Mercedes is including information about the number of patents they own. It seems like their marketing strategy is to play off that if you own a lot of patents, you are creators and the best. And owning 80,000 patents is quite a feat. What they don't mention is that a lot of companies own a lot of patents and a lot of trolls own patents and sue other people for more money!
Funny what they do leave out.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Week5,Post9:Congress's View
Food for thought:
http://about.bloomberglaw.com/law-reports/smartphone-patent-war-briefing-in-congress-with-one-conclusion-legislation-unlikely/
A panel comprised of 4 professors of law and writers met in a Congressional briefing to discuss the AIA and the current patent litigation wars. Three out of the four panelist argue that the system is broken, however one person says that it will all blow over. I thought that this was an interesting argument. Adam Mossoff argues that this war will all blow over, as it did with the sewing machines and pharmaceuticals.
I'm not sure that I agree with his stance. I think that the amount of money and time spent by each company towards this patent wars is huge in comparison to maybe the companies back in history. The smartphone boom is huge with a large market (let's think in billions of dollars) that I think these giant companies are not going to want to lose. Maybe a patent pool may happen, but I doubt it in the next five years.
http://about.bloomberglaw.com/law-reports/smartphone-patent-war-briefing-in-congress-with-one-conclusion-legislation-unlikely/
A panel comprised of 4 professors of law and writers met in a Congressional briefing to discuss the AIA and the current patent litigation wars. Three out of the four panelist argue that the system is broken, however one person says that it will all blow over. I thought that this was an interesting argument. Adam Mossoff argues that this war will all blow over, as it did with the sewing machines and pharmaceuticals.
I'm not sure that I agree with his stance. I think that the amount of money and time spent by each company towards this patent wars is huge in comparison to maybe the companies back in history. The smartphone boom is huge with a large market (let's think in billions of dollars) that I think these giant companies are not going to want to lose. Maybe a patent pool may happen, but I doubt it in the next five years.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Week4,Post8:Hardware producers reaping all the benefits
Reading:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1185511-as-smartphone-patent-war-rages-on-hardware-producers-reap-enormous-profits
So I know we've been talking in class about how it software companies have been using millions of dollars to back up other companies in their progress of developing products. However, we never really talk about the hardware companies who actually make the products. So I looked up this today and found an amazing article about the hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars these companies are making during all these legal battles. I was super surprised! These companies are still doing really well although their partner companies in software are locked up in litigation wars.
Good for them!
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1185511-as-smartphone-patent-war-rages-on-hardware-producers-reap-enormous-profits
So I know we've been talking in class about how it software companies have been using millions of dollars to back up other companies in their progress of developing products. However, we never really talk about the hardware companies who actually make the products. So I looked up this today and found an amazing article about the hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars these companies are making during all these legal battles. I was super surprised! These companies are still doing really well although their partner companies in software are locked up in litigation wars.
Good for them!
Week4,Post7:HALT!
Some background:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apple-samsung-judge-says-she-may-put-second-patent-case-on-hold/2013/02/15/7bc0f8b2-7730-11e2-b102-948929030e64_story.html?wpisrc=nl_tech
So the infamous battle between Samsung and Apple has come to a halt! Judge Koh, who was overseeing two of their patent lawsuits, asked the two companies to postponed their trial to March 2014 while they look over a verdict made on a lawsuit from August 2012.
What I thought was interesting about this article is that the government is requiring both companies to reveal their financial information. However, both companies (separately) are appealing this ruling calling them 'trade secrets'. I'm a bit confused as to how this information are trade secrets. What exactly is so valuable? Is it how the companies are spending money on research? Is it on marketing? I'm just a bit confused why BOTH companies are so against it!
Thoughts?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apple-samsung-judge-says-she-may-put-second-patent-case-on-hold/2013/02/15/7bc0f8b2-7730-11e2-b102-948929030e64_story.html?wpisrc=nl_tech
So the infamous battle between Samsung and Apple has come to a halt! Judge Koh, who was overseeing two of their patent lawsuits, asked the two companies to postponed their trial to March 2014 while they look over a verdict made on a lawsuit from August 2012.
What I thought was interesting about this article is that the government is requiring both companies to reveal their financial information. However, both companies (separately) are appealing this ruling calling them 'trade secrets'. I'm a bit confused as to how this information are trade secrets. What exactly is so valuable? Is it how the companies are spending money on research? Is it on marketing? I'm just a bit confused why BOTH companies are so against it!
Thoughts?
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Week3,Post6:An interesting dyanmic
This week's article read:
http://news.msn.com/science-technology/stalemate-between-apple-samsung-in-smartphone-wars
So I was received this article through my Google Alert this week. While reading it, I was a bit shocked. Not because Apple is suing Samsung and vice versa (I mean come on, that's pretty old news), but by the fact that Samsung actually manufactures a lot of parts of Apple's iPhone, iPads, iWhatevers. I find it interesting that Apple chose to pick up a fight with the guys who make parts for their phones (I mean...their phones wouldn't work without Samsung). And I'm pretty surprised that Samsung hasn't dropped them from their clients (okay, I guess having Apple as one of your clients is a pretty huge money maker, but wouldn't it be a giant f***k you to apple?). It's interesting to see how to companies hate each other, sue each other, want the other company to not succeed, and yet still work together to produce products.
A bit silly I think. Thoughts?
http://news.msn.com/science-technology/stalemate-between-apple-samsung-in-smartphone-wars
So I was received this article through my Google Alert this week. While reading it, I was a bit shocked. Not because Apple is suing Samsung and vice versa (I mean come on, that's pretty old news), but by the fact that Samsung actually manufactures a lot of parts of Apple's iPhone, iPads, iWhatevers. I find it interesting that Apple chose to pick up a fight with the guys who make parts for their phones (I mean...their phones wouldn't work without Samsung). And I'm pretty surprised that Samsung hasn't dropped them from their clients (okay, I guess having Apple as one of your clients is a pretty huge money maker, but wouldn't it be a giant f***k you to apple?). It's interesting to see how to companies hate each other, sue each other, want the other company to not succeed, and yet still work together to produce products.
A bit silly I think. Thoughts?
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Week3,Post5:Qwerty Keyboard
So something Professor Lavian said in class intrigued me this past Monday. People were patenting QWERTY keyboards on smartphones. For those of you who may not know exactly what a QWERTY keyboard is, it's the keyboard layout that is used in most present day keyboards for laptops and computers. If I remember correct, it was designed during the age of type writers (oh dang that's old). This is from memory, but I believe that it was designed so that letters that were used often were spread apart on the keyboard so that ink wouldn't get smeared/damaged and the keys wouldn't get jammed easily on the type writer.
I was intrigued that people were patenting QWERTY keyboards. Initially, I thought people were actually patenting the keyboard layout. However after some research, I found companies were just patenting how the keyboard was placed on their phone. I thought that this was interesting concept. It's true, how a phone has the keyboard on it is really crucial to user interface. I know I've hated certain phones of my past simply because the keyboard was just annoying to utilize. I guess in a way it's good for these companies to patent their layouts, it protects their idea! So I guess, good job companies!
I was intrigued that people were patenting QWERTY keyboards. Initially, I thought people were actually patenting the keyboard layout. However after some research, I found companies were just patenting how the keyboard was placed on their phone. I thought that this was interesting concept. It's true, how a phone has the keyboard on it is really crucial to user interface. I know I've hated certain phones of my past simply because the keyboard was just annoying to utilize. I guess in a way it's good for these companies to patent their layouts, it protects their idea! So I guess, good job companies!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Week2, Post4:Patent Trolls
I'm not sure if you've heard of this bizarre patent licensing issue, but I heard it from my brother while at home during the winter break. So what's this issue? Basically, a company patented the act of scanning documents and emailing them to someone. WHAT? And on top of that, this company is asking for $900-$1200 per employee head at various companies for licensing. This just is such a bizarre thing to me. I do not know about you, but scanning and emailing documents is something I have done since anyone had the ability to do so! I will admit, it is pure genius to patent this idea. However, asking up to a thousand dollars for something that most people do on a weekly basis is just......I guess the word I'm going for is mean. I am interested to see how this licensing issue plays through.
To read more:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/01/patent-trolls-want-1000-for-using-scanners/
To read more:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/01/patent-trolls-want-1000-for-using-scanners/
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