Antor Media sues everybody

If you ever needed a better example of why patents for obviousness shouldn't be granted, a company called Antor Media is suing a variety of cellphone makers, including Nokia, UTStarcom, Audiovox, Kyocera, Sanyo, Sharp, NEC, RIM, Virgin Mobile, LG, palmOne and Panasonic, for violating their patent on a "Method and apparatus for transmitting information recorded on information storage means from a central server to subscribers via a high data rate digital telecommunications network." So basically they're suing going to sue anyone who transmits data from a server to another device. They already sued Apple, Microsoft, MP3.com, and RealNetworks back in 2003.

[teksno @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

well the sued, but did they win? thats the real question... and cant patents be overturned... this is one the most definalty should be...

[Sean Foushee @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I would think Cisco Systems would have a complaint about that patent since the majority of their work is to transfer data from a server to another device over high speed connections. Whats next? Are they going to sue the telecom industry for digital cable, pay-per-view on-demand, and high speed ISPs? The patent office needs an overhaul.

[Mathieu Masseboeuf @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Yeah, anyone got a clue on how the 2003 trials ended ?

Those trivial pattends should never be given in the first place - where is the patent reform !!!

[Sean Foushee @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Just found this via Google:

Antor Media Corporation v. Apple Computer, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, RealNetworks, Inc., Civil Action No. 2:03CV320

The case was settled favorably prior to trial.

Guess we'll never know what the settlement was, but I guess it was good enough for Antor to gain the confidence needed to go after what looks like the entire cellphone industry.

[TheCheeks @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

wow, how dumb can they get? we're sad in america, sueing everyone just cause we're greedy.

[Spyke @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

The only (remotely) possible way this will succeed is if they've been granted a WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE patent and there's no "prior art" claim - both highly doubtful.

Companies like this need to FO&D quite simply. If they spent even half the effort chasing spurious legal claims like these on actual, useful innovation then the world might be a better place. In light of the G8 summit currently taking place in Scotland, these Antor Muppets need to take a good, long look at themselves in the mirror, realise just how uselsss they are to the world today and then crawl back under the rock they came from.

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Welcome to America Folks! Or should that go, "Only in America!" ;)

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I just have to say that I'm in the process of starting a company and the one place we're NOT going to be starting it is in the U.S. because of this exact problem. In our case, it's because of software patents, but I have a constant question in the back of my head asking how many other potential businesses are avoiding the U.S. as well.

Not only are we (yes, I'm a U.S. citizen) alienating ourselves from the rest of the world with our immigration policies effectively keeping away new talent, but we're also feeding off eachother with braindead patent and copyright policies that we're trying to force upon the rest of the world. How this is supposed to encourage a growing economy is beyond me.

[Rick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

It seems their patent is not about trasmitting data from a server, but transmitting audio data which is then converted back from data into audio itself.

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

This reminds me of Acacia Research. They claim to own the exclusive patent to streaming video through the Internet, among others, and are gradually suing everyone, too. Playboy caved in a bought a license, as did Bloomberg and others. They own patents and buy patents in order to sue others and gain license revenue. And yet they still manage to sleep at night.

http://www.acaciaresearch.com/

[Rich @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Patents are limited by their patent claims. Not one comment here says anything about their patent claims. The title and abstract do not define a patent. The broad patent coverage you are describing is simply NOT indicated by the claims.

[TC @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I want a patent on �Method and apparatus for transmitting gasses from an external source to subscribers via a high complexity biological network.� Then I'll sue Anto Media for breathing.