Here is the patent in question: http://tinyurl.com/3mvrls
and an earlier patent that they also own: http://www.google.com/patents?id=hrmAAAAAEBAJ&dq=7,174,286 I think those patents were filed around 2004, and I really wonder if such tools never existed in some form before that time. Maybe some of the people in the list who've been in the industry for long enough can provide some insight. If "prior art" can be found (proving that such things existed before the patent was applied for) then the patent can be declared invalid. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has taken up quite a few such cases - see http://www.eff.org/issues/patents Maybe this is an issue where the IxDA community can liaise with EFF and raise another case like that. Regards, Alex On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 2:00 PM, Fred Beecher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > All, > > I really hope anyone considering iRise reads this before making their final > decision. We're a fairly small community and in general we all play well > together. Given this, it is *amazing* that we have a choice of tools to use. > So this kind of blatant and reprehensible grab for market share (see below) > should not go unnoticed. > Disclosure: While I do not work for Axure, I do have a formal agreement with > them to do training for their clients when they request it. Also, I am > admittedly an Axure fanboy. I have had no problems recommending iRise in the > past when the situation warrants, but after this that will change. > > I learned last night that iRise is suing Axure for patent infringement. > Essentially, they're trying to sue Axure out of business. > > http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/638693.html > > Mind you, the "patent" that's being infringed was filed by iRise on March > 25, 2008, and it is essentially a patent on the idea of a rapid prototyping > & documentation tool: > > "The patent, titled 'Systems and Methods for a Programming Environment for > a Simulation of a Computer Application," relates to interactive simulation > systems and, more particularly, to the editing and association of text-based > requirements in the context of an interactive simulation authoring > environment." > > So essentially, every time we create an annotated wireframe (whether in > Axure or no) we are violating this patent. This is completely ridiculous. > Axure has been around since 2003 and iRise is suing for a "patent" they got > in 2008? Absurd. > > What follows is complete speculation: I imagine that what's happening is > that iRise is losing LOTS of customers to Axure. Axure costs $589 per > license compared to iRise's $6,000 - $10,000 (yes, per license). That's *an > order of magnitude* more expensive. While for some customers the > capabilities of iRise are likely worth it, I'm guessing most are opting for > the cheaper option that does 95% of what iRise does. So, faced with a dire > financial situation, they're attempting to sue Axure out of business. Read > the article. The lawsuit says they want Axure to stop selling rapid > prototyping products. Axure doesn't sell anything else. > > I am... I am very disappointed about all this. And while there's just no way > this lawsuit can go through, it still eats me up inside that a company that > plays in our relatively tiny little industry would pull crap like this. > > Okay, time to cool off... > > - Fred > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
