Apple, RIM, Palm sued over vague GSM patents

Quick, you ever heard of WiAV Solutions? You know, the owner or exclusive licensee of several vague patents on the use of GSM tech in smartphones? The company that doesn't make anything or even have a web site, but files so many patent lawsuits that some companies have taken to pre-emptively filing suits for declaratory judgment against it? Yeah, well, get used to the name -- it's just sued RIM, Apple and Palm for violating ten patents on things like detecting the difference between silence and voices, mobile device power management, and altering music to accommodate voices. WiAV wants a permanent injunction on the sale of all devices that allegedly contain its tech, and not surprisingly, it's asking for damages and attorney's fees as well. There are some procedural hurdles to jump through here -- WiAV is Mindspeed's exclusive licensee for eight of the patents, not the outright owner, so it has to ask the court to join Mindspeed as a plaintiff as well -- and it doesn't sound like any of the companies are talking just yet, so we wouldn't expect this one to get resolved any time soon.

[Thanks, Becky]

Read - AppleInsider post on the suit
Read - WiAV's complaint [Warning: PDF]

[neofolklore Posted Aug 7th 2008 7:58AM]

well you have to word it correctly

The Art of Involuntary Respiration

[Master of the Intangible Posted Aug 6th 2008 4:41PM]

"...WiAV is Mindspeed's exclusive licensee for eight of the patents, not the outright owner, so it has to ask the court to join Mindspeed as a plaintiff as well..."

I can imagine it now... 'Hey, Mindspeed, you wanna like.. join in on this multimillion dollar lawsuit against the big corporations for about say.. eight patents you own?'

'Nah man, I'm cool.'

Riiiiiiiiiight. Gonna be really hard to convince them to join in.

[draftdubya Posted Aug 6th 2008 5:08PM]

I bet I know what state this suit will be filed in
/Steers and queers
//not that it's anything wrong with that

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 6th 2008 11:34PM]

RIM, Apple, and Palm are lucky I'M not suing; I patented technology years ago.

[Dee Posted Aug 7th 2008 12:06AM]

F%&K this SHITE!!!

That' how i feel about all this.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2008 2:08AM]

I know how you feel

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 7th 2008 2:19AM]

i feel your know how

[neofolklore Posted Aug 7th 2008 7:57AM]

Good Serving Mothers