Apple to sue Palm over infringing ............the Newton?
We all know Apple are a sharp company and make fantastic tactical decisions. I was chatting about the Palm Pre and the patent award over the Iphone with a friend of mine who is a company lawyer in the UK and a bit of a technology geek like me.
He gave me a wonderful idea, which he felt could form the basis of Apple strategy for dealing Palm a deadly blow.
Rather than sue Palm on the basis that it's Pre infringes the Iphone, sue Palm on the basis that its entire business pre Treo infringed on the Apple Newton and its original patents.
This is clever for a number of reasons. It means Apple could strangle Palm for cash asking for a freeze of current assets and demanding historical royalties for every Palm product ever created.
This would mean on a secondary level that Palm would have to either get more loans or potential not be able to afford to bring the Pre to market.
It is also very clever because it then casts doubts over any portfolio of patents Palm may feel it has against the iphone, meaning it could go for a double whammy if the Pre went public. Suing them again purely on this basis.
He gave me a wonderful idea, which he felt could form the basis of Apple strategy for dealing Palm a deadly blow.
Rather than sue Palm on the basis that it's Pre infringes the Iphone, sue Palm on the basis that its entire business pre Treo infringed on the Apple Newton and its original patents.
This is clever for a number of reasons. It means Apple could strangle Palm for cash asking for a freeze of current assets and demanding historical royalties for every Palm product ever created.
This would mean on a secondary level that Palm would have to either get more loans or potential not be able to afford to bring the Pre to market.
It is also very clever because it then casts doubts over any portfolio of patents Palm may feel it has against the iphone, meaning it could go for a double whammy if the Pre went public. Suing them again purely on this basis.