WSJ is reporting that Facebook and Google have been sued by Wireless Ink Corp, a Long Island based company for patent infringement. Wireless Ink is accusing Facebook and Google’s mobile websites of infringing upon Wireless Ink’s patent that was sought in 2004 and finally granted to them in 2009.
Wireless Ink’s patent was for a process of “management of information content for enhanced accessibility over wireless communication networks.” After acquiring the patent Wireless Ink has now taken both Facebook and Google to court alleging that Facebook’s social network and Google’s Gmail and Buzz, alongwith the mobile sites of both companies are using their patented techniques.
A spokesman from Facebook, while talking to WSJ, stated that, “This suit is without merit and we will fight it vigorously.” Google however, declined to comment on the grounds, that they haven’t reviewed the lawsuit as yet.
The lawsuit has reminded me of a similar battle between Judy’s Book a local business review site and Yahoo. Judy’s book claimed to invent the term “Social Search” and went ahead and got it patented. However, Yahoo started to use the same term of services on its own site. Judy’s Book lamented about this infringement by Yahoo on its patent, but decided not to file a suit against Yahoo as they thought that the final battle is won or lost in the consumer space and not in the court.
Judy’s Book was right, both Judy’s Book and Yahoo’s Search offerings – let alone its Social touch to Search is irrelevant now, and most of the reader of this blog might have never heard about either. Wireless Ink’s Patent can be viewed here.
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Will be an interesting test of business method patents, which at present have questionable standing with the supreme court as they don’t involve a “physical transform of matter.”
Comment by Matthew Brown — March 10, 2010 @ 7:13 pm
Ugh… patent trolls…
Comment by Richard Daryl Haughn — March 10, 2010 @ 9:09 pm
hi
Comment by Mohamed Shariif — March 10, 2010 @ 11:58 pm
Let's step back, clear our head and really think.
Especially seemingly so in the wireless industry, what are the benefits of allowing almost every little new/different method/solution/scheme to be patented in the 1st place? Patented wireless material often goes into Standards. Only a handful of big companies can afford to patent every chance they get and it has the chain reaction effect (i.e. patent over patent, patent after patent), hence the LTE patent battle in session right now.
Standardization plus patenting ideas that are not fundamental for other ideas to build on is totally a closed group effort. This is limiting participation from non-WG folks from developed and developing countries. This stifles innovations from a broader audience; hamper collective collaboration (i.e. working together, peer reviews, revise and refine) for better results, increase cost due to multiple royalties and monopolies opportunities in driving the technology forward let alone slowing down progress. It is most certainly prospering the whole industry of dealing with patent infringement claims and counter claims.
The "Open Source" philosophy has recently been applied to designs and architectures involving Standards — the Open Design and Architecture Initiative (ODAI).
Check it out: http://www.odaiworld.org.
Comment by Mimi Tam — August 23, 2010 @ 1:52 pm