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At this stage DE Technologies has issued a number of
letters of demand requiring a response within 14 days. That 14 day period is still running. If DE
Technologies doesn’t get satisfactory answers from the “infringers”
within that timeframe, it will have to decide whether it wants to file court proceedings. DE Technologies will be reluctant to
file proceedings if it is concerned about the validity of the patent. However, if DE Technologies does
file proceedings, the “infringers” can try to attack the validity
of the patent on a number of grounds. Forum members have the chance to help out here. If the “invention” which is
the subject of the patent existed before December 1997, the patent will be
invalid. At this stage I don’t
have specific information about the “invention” other than it
covers ’cross-border e-commerce processes, which range from currency
conversion and electronic invoicing to creating databases of purchase histories’. Anyone aware of the existence of
software dealing with this which existed prior to December 1997? It doesn’t
matter if the software is no longer in use. One of my professional colleagues is acting for some of
the “infringers”. He is
sending me more detailed information about the patent and the claimed
invention. I’ll post another
message to the forum when I get that information – probably tomorrow
morning. In the meantime, if you know of any ecommerce
solutions that existed before December 1997, please either send a message to
the forum by replying to this email (might trigger someone else’s memory)
or email me directly (and confidentially if requested) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. Jane
Montgomery Barrister Phone (03)
332 3736 Fax (03) 332
1397 Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
