On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:47:39 -0600, Rjack <[email protected]> wrote:
PJ over at Groklaw has gotten her panties tied into a knot over the Microsoft - TomTom patent dispute. http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090304114657350 Seems everybody's in a snit because "Microsoft is attacking Linux". As I surf the net I see Free Softies everywhere whining about TomTom not being able to license Microsoft patents because of the GPL. What baffles me is why there isn't a peep out there about TomTom suing the pants off other navigation system manufacturers for violating TomTom's patents. *********************************************************** TomTom Sues Aisin Dutch navigation device maker TomTom Global Assets BV reportedly has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Japan’s Aisin AW and its subsidiary AW Technical Center U.S.A., according to a report by IP Law 360. The complaint was filed in the U. S. District Court Eastern Division of Texas Marshall Division. According to the complaint, TomTom reportedly alleges that Aisin AW and AW Tech infringe four U.S. patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 5,508,931; 5,515,283; 5,902,350; and 6,542,814) for car navigation systems and displays. TomTom is reportedly asserting that Aisin infringed the patents willfully and is seeking reasonable royalties, damages, interest, and legal costs. The company is also asking for an injunction. Aisin is a member of the Toyota group of companies. Aisin’s navigation systems are used in automobiles manufactured by Toyota, Scion, Audi, and GM in North America. *********************************************************** http://www.gbpatent.com/news/jp92.htm See also: http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/208264-recent-patentcopyright-infringement-cases-filed-in-u.s.-district-courts Sounds a little like Rush Limbaugh whining about "personal attacks" to me. The word "hypocrisy" apparently doesn't exist in Free Softies vocabularies. Sincerely, Rjack :)
It appears to me that TomTom is suing for very specific issues -- how to display exiting an off ramp on a GPS, for example -- whereas Microsoft is suing for general concepts like "using an integrated computer in a car," or "having a wireless computer in a car," or using the same FAT system everyone else in the world is using. (How did that GIF lawsuit go, by the way?) I don't know the merits of TomTom's lawsuit against the Toyota affiliate (and it looks like they're being counter-sued), but Microsoft's lawsuit looks like nothing more than patent trolling.
Is this what Microsoft has been reduced to? -- a patent troll? I expect they'll be moving their headquarters to Eastern Texas any month now.
-- RonB "There's a story there...somewhere" _______________________________________________ gnu-misc-discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss
