Openwave sues Apple over iPhone, iPad mobile connectivity
Openwave Systems has accused Apple in a new lawsuit of violating patents related to mobile device connectivity with its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The company announced on Wednesday that it has filed complaints against both Apple and Research in Motion, alleging patent infringement in the lawsuit filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission. As is standard in such filings, Openwave has asked the ITC to ban the import of smartphones and tablets made by Apple and RIM.
"Openwave invented technologies that became foundational to the mobile Internet," Ken Denman, Chief Executive Officer of Openwave, said in a statement. "We believe that these large companies should pay us for the use of our technologies, particularly in light of the substantial revenue these companies have earned from devices that use our intellectual property."
"Before filing these complaints, we approached both of these companies numerous times in an attempt to negotiate a license of our technology with them and did not receive a substantive response."
In all, Apple is accused of infringing five Openwave-owned patents related to Internet access on mobile devices. Those patents are:
U.S. Patent No. 6,233,608: Method and system for securely interacting with managed data from multiple devices
U.S. Patent No. 6,289,212: Method and apparatus for providing electronic mail services during network unavailability
U.S. Patent No. 6,405,037: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
U.S. Patent No. 6,430,409: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
U.S. Patent No. 6,625,447: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
"In the end, litigation is the only way we can defend our rights against these large companies that have effectively refused to license the use of the technologies we invented, are using today, and are continuing to develop for our customers," Denman said. "We are proud that our technology is helping deliver such a rich mobile internet experience to consumers around the world."
In its press release, Openwave touted that in 1997 it was the first company to enable operators to deploy mobile Internet browsing, while in 2001 it was the first to provide technology for photo messaging. The company said it owns about 200 patents related to its software business.
The company announced on Wednesday that it has filed complaints against both Apple and Research in Motion, alleging patent infringement in the lawsuit filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission. As is standard in such filings, Openwave has asked the ITC to ban the import of smartphones and tablets made by Apple and RIM.
"Openwave invented technologies that became foundational to the mobile Internet," Ken Denman, Chief Executive Officer of Openwave, said in a statement. "We believe that these large companies should pay us for the use of our technologies, particularly in light of the substantial revenue these companies have earned from devices that use our intellectual property."
"Before filing these complaints, we approached both of these companies numerous times in an attempt to negotiate a license of our technology with them and did not receive a substantive response."
In all, Apple is accused of infringing five Openwave-owned patents related to Internet access on mobile devices. Those patents are:
U.S. Patent No. 6,233,608: Method and system for securely interacting with managed data from multiple devices
U.S. Patent No. 6,289,212: Method and apparatus for providing electronic mail services during network unavailability
U.S. Patent No. 6,405,037: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
U.S. Patent No. 6,430,409: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
U.S. Patent No. 6,625,447: Method and architecture for an interactive two-way data communication network
"In the end, litigation is the only way we can defend our rights against these large companies that have effectively refused to license the use of the technologies we invented, are using today, and are continuing to develop for our customers," Denman said. "We are proud that our technology is helping deliver such a rich mobile internet experience to consumers around the world."
In its press release, Openwave touted that in 1997 it was the first company to enable operators to deploy mobile Internet browsing, while in 2001 it was the first to provide technology for photo messaging. The company said it owns about 200 patents related to its software business.
Comments
Patent infringement lawsuit by Thomas Edison estate hits Apple:
http://mobilebeyond.net/patent-infri...#axzz1WdRtUose
Anyway...thats my rant for the day.
And oh yeah....I am going to SUE YOU!
WTF is up with all the lawsuits????? It seems everyone is suing everyone over patents lately, and it's outta control. I mean really. What the hell is the deal? Every friggin day there are a bunch of new lawsuits and counter lawsuits. It's never-ending.
Anyway...thats my rant for the day.
And oh yeah....I am going to SUE YOU!
I completely agree...makes me consider going back to college to become a patent lawyer so I can go company to company and charge them $1000/hr to defend their silly patents.
I actually tried to read through the email patent before I got too annoyed by the claims. Every claim they make has already been implemented in every way imaginable...not sure why they think they deserve a patent for common sense. Unless I'm misreading something, they essentially patented a way to perform email asynchronously to avoid delays as well as to queue messages until the system becomes available again. I feel like I've implemented that myself on countless occasions. More companies just looking for an easy way out...*sigh*
Whether these technologies have been implemented today is irrelevant. What matters is whether they were available when these patents were applied for - in 1997. That is a very different matter.
Apple could have bought this company for less than $50 million 2 1/2 years ago and now, as of the 21% jump on this news this morning, the market cap is $154 million.
The settlement can't be that much because even buying OpenWave outright is a drop in the bucket for Apple.
[on edit: maybe they are just trying to cover the $12 million they paid to Myriad]
The decendents of Grok, a million year old cromagnon cave man is suing Apple for copying their great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather's spearhead design that resembles the current iphone as well as the rock Grok used to crush skulls with because the shape of that rock looks like the imac....sort of.
The case'll be thrown out.
If Grok's spearhead actually looked like the iPhone, it wouldn't have been very speary, it wouldn't have protected him from attack, and he would have been mauled immediately, thus preventing him from having descendants.
The case'll be thrown out.
If Grok's spearhead actually looked like the iPhone, it wouldn't have been very speary, it wouldn't have protected him from attack, and he would have been mauled immediately, thus preventing him from having descendants.
Grok family is now suing Appleinsider poster "TallestSkil" for defimation of character. Grok family mad. Grok family no like previous post. Grok family have proof of cave painting wall showing Grok ancestor throwing stick with spearhead that look like iphone at gazelle.
Grok family is now suing Appleinsider poster "TallestSkil" for defimation of character. Grok family mad. Grok family no like previous post. Grok family have proof of cave painting wall showing Grok ancestor throwing spearhead that look like iphone at praire gazelle.
Ah, frivolous lawsuits. So easy, a caveman can do it!
*Tallest Skil was sued by Geico for misrepresentation of a former slogan. He spent seventy years in solitary confinement in federal prison. He continued to post on AppleInsider through Morse code tapped on his cell wall to the neighbor, who happened to have an Internet connection*
*Tallest Skil was sued by Geico for misrepresentation of a former slogan. He spent seventy years in solitary confinement in federal prison. He continued to post on AppleInsider through Morse code tapped on his cell wall to the neighbor, who happened to have an Internet connection*
Why'd they give Larry Page an internet connection and not you...
Ah, frivolous lawsuits. So easy, a caveman can do it!
*Tallest Skil was sued by Geico for misrepresentation of a former slogan. He spent seventy years in solitary confinement in federal prison. He continued to post on AppleInsider through Morse code tapped on his cell wall to the neighbor, who happened to have an Internet connection*
now....that was funny!
Whether these technologies have been implemented today is irrelevant. What matters is whether they were available when these patents were applied for - in 1997. That is a very different matter.
US Army has been doing things like this long before 1997. i used to set up a system based on viasat and inmarsat phones where we would send messages and faxes between continents via outer space
Clearly the patent system is beyond repair.
Patent infringement lawsuit by Thomas Edison estate hits Apple:
http://mobilebeyond.net/patent-infri...#axzz1WdRtUose
This is especially hilarious considering Edison actually stole most of his inventions.
Time to nail your colours to the mast. If the patent system is broken and too many "obvious'' patents are being granted, what % of Apple's patents should really not have been granted in the first place? Personally I'd go for 90 to 95% (yes, I'm serious). How about you?
When does this madness end?
Apple is better than that. People will buy their products regardless of any copycats. They don't need to worry about copy cats at all. Its just sillyness.