CSIRO wins landmark WLAN lawsuit against Buffalo, more to come?

The same folks who brought us fire-proof plastic, air guitar clothing, and wireless air hockey apparently delivered a lot more of the WiFi technology we all utilize daily than was previously recognized. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has won a landmark case against Buffalo Technology, "under which it could receive royalties from every producer of WLAN products worldwide." US patent 5487069 -- which "encompasses elements of the 802.11a/g wireless technology that is now an industry standard" -- was granted to the body back in 1996, and has subsequently been utilized in seemingly every piece of wireless kit ever since. Considering their recent victory, CSIRO's pending cases against Intel, Dell, Microsoft, HP, and Netgear definitely have roots now, and if judges continue to rule in the Aussies' favor, the big boys could be shelling out "hundreds of millions of dollars" in back pay to cover their wrongs. Ruh roh.

[Thanks, Phil]

[Stu @ Nov 16th 2006 11:23PM]

Go the Aussies! haha

[Tait Brown @ Nov 17th 2006 4:52AM]

And with these royalties, we can continue to produce MORE air guitar t-shirts!

[Pal @ Nov 17th 2006 5:02AM]

Looks like the AT&T logo.

[karlfest @ Nov 17th 2006 5:23AM]

Go CSIRO. Whodathought you little government agency you. OI OI OI. Show those smug US bastards....

[chris @ Nov 17th 2006 8:25AM]

Which is exactly why there should be a law against waiting so long for patent lawsuits. How long have the 802.11 standards been ratified and products been in stores? They couldn't have gone after them then?

Apparently not, because they're just another patent shop who doesn't actually make a product, but sues anyone who has the intentions of using their patents, once they've got a firm share of a market.

[mottl3y @ Nov 19th 2006 8:57PM]

Chris, the other option is that the companies that intend on using the technology pay the patent holder for the right to do so. If research organisations don't get any money from patents, then research isn't going to happen. Where would you be without your WiFi?

[thewinchester @ Nov 17th 2006 8:24PM]

I think referring to a long-term dedicated scientific organisation as a patent shop is both a little unfair and inaccurate Chris (and frankly is an uninformed opinion as well). CSIRO has always been an agency that is dedicated to the commercialisation of their collective inventive genius, and their commercalisation strategies are key to their own financial success. To suggest that are just another NTP is balderdash.

If you're interested in seeing just some of the work CSIRO have been up to, take a wander over to http://www.csiro.au/csiro/channel/pch25,,.html

And here ends my first ever comment on Engadget.

[Tech_Terry @ Nov 19th 2006 2:57AM]

I wonder if this will have an impact on the vote to get the 802.11n standard passed.

[jeza @ Dec 6th 2006 8:36PM]

Australia uses British spelling... it's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research *Organisation* - http://www.csiro.au/