CSIRO settles patent lawsuit with HP, continues fight with everyone else

As anyone up on their patent fights these days is no doubt aware, Australia's CSIRO (or the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) has been engaged in a long-standing dispute with seemingly every company that makes use of WiFi in their products, and even the organization responsible for the 802.11 standard itself. Now, following a short lived victory against Buffalo, the group has reportedly reached a settlement in its lawsuit with HP, although all of the parties involved are unsurprisingly staying mum on any specifics for the time being. As Australia's Sydney Morning Herald notes, however, the settlement will no doubt give CSIRO a boost in confidence as it continues to challenge the remaining companies now entangled in lawsuits, which includes everyone from Microsoft to Dell to Nintendo, and free up a bit more time for the group to get back to creating even rounder objects and more stylish power-generating shirts.

[Thanks, Greg]

[a ham sandwich @ Apr 1st 2009 4:44PM]

csiro electric motor FTW

http://www.csiro.au/resources/pf11g.html

[Rob @ Apr 1st 2009 4:54PM]

So these are the clowns responsible for Buffalo calling back all their products? Nice to know that their greed knows no limits and now they're going after more and more companies. Good to know.

[mred @ Apr 1st 2009 6:36PM]

So the CSRIO invents and owns the IP to WI-FI, american corporations ignore their own IP laws to their own advantage, and you think it's the CSIRO that's greedy. I assume you're one of those greedy americans your self.

[Rob @ Apr 1st 2009 7:14PM]

mred:
Think of the children. It was all done for the children of the world.

[VanillaSpice @ Apr 1st 2009 10:47PM]

Rob, a little research would have gone a long way.

They're not clowns, they really did create and patent the tech that was used by 802.11 manufacturers without a licence (which was offered). They're not greedy, they have a legal onus to recoup the research and investment costs which were borne by the Australian taxpayer. They're going after more companies because not doing so weakens their position to claims of ownership in the first place, and because, you know, they're actually legally entitled to. And all profits will be folded back into this *public* research institution which is advancing scientific knowledge for the benefit of everyone.

And you think they're patent trolls? Sheesh.

[Eyeheartawk @ Apr 2nd 2009 2:58AM]

@mred:

Saying that CSIRO owns wifi is like saying apple owns every use of multi-touch both retroactively and until the end of time and space. Which according to apple, they apparently do.

WIFI was a standard, put in concrete via the wifi alliance and underneath that by IEEE standard, of which CSIRO is a member. They may very well have contributed to it in some way. But saying they own the IP for WIFI is a bit much.

[dbrow @ Apr 1st 2009 5:31PM]

And they say the US is the most litigious society in the world.

[Mitch @ Apr 2nd 2009 11:43PM]

One research company doesn't define the country... Not to mention they have a right to get angry, they invented the technology!

[wyatt @ Apr 1st 2009 5:41PM]

hey CSIRO!

i invented the letter C.

pay up, MFs!

[bandigolo @ Apr 1st 2009 5:46PM]

Now well I see, C-Si-Ro
I love you, yes I do
And there isn't one thing darlin'
I would not do for you
You know I want you C-Si
I need you by my side
C-Si-Ro, ugh!
Keep me satisfied...

[Intrepid @ Apr 1st 2009 6:00PM]

First, the CSIRO didn't invent that round ball... that was French.
Second, if their technology was used without permission, they have a right to seek damages. Just because they're Australian, that doesn't mean they don't have the right to look after their investments.

[12dogs @ Apr 1st 2009 6:11PM]

The CSIRO are not patent trolls, they're a government funded research organisation that have put quite a bit of time and effort into wireless networking and a lot of other technologies. They tried to license their patents to the wireless tech to all, however everyone just said bugger off so now they're suing.

This is the most legitimate usage of the US Patent system i've seen in quite a while.

[omoks @ Apr 1st 2009 6:18PM]

A little vague but interesting.

[joaquindelgado @ Apr 1st 2009 8:39PM]

csiro.
reminds me of cisco.

[Cam @ Apr 1st 2009 11:52PM]

or like fcuk

[Eyeheartawk @ Apr 2nd 2009 2:51AM]

A few things to keep in mind about CSIRO here.

1. They no longer are a purely public research entity, recently they've had to rely on larger amounts of private funding. Which interestingly, seems about the same time that they started suing people over "patent violations".

2. Their lawsuits are only coming NOW after years of the 802.11x standards having been ratified, I mean we are talking years here, 802.11 B, G, and A have all achieved widespread use and profitability in the meantime. In fact, they've been a member of IEEE for a long time and have been present for all of the other speed/ channel implementations of that standard. Also, they're the ones holding up the N standard being ratified, so they're the reasons we only have DRAFT N tech available, so that wireless networking isn't really as seamless as it can and should be.

3. The injunction they had achieved against Buffalo is now lifted, and they are free to sell routers as they please, so that court case doesn't seem to be going to well after all.

4. RAMBUS has been quiet of late, so we needed some other big meanie to yell patent troll at, so they seem to fit the bill quite nicely.

[nyarrgh @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:10PM]

RAMBUS! exactly what I was thinking. RAMBUS is an American company, and people thought (and said) they were greedy (and litiguous) too. This is not because CSIRO is not an American company.

Now whether they are right or wrong, I can't say that I know, Just like Rambus I just see what they are doing right now and what some of the effects seem to be.

[Owen @ Apr 3rd 2009 12:52AM]

CSIRO is a government-funded research organisation, it is not a patent troll.

Way back in 1993 when the first development of WiFi was taking place, CSIRO agreed to have the technologies ratified into IEEE standards on the condition they were paid a small royalty for the technology. So their patent was applied for around this time and approved in 2996. Fast forward a few years and WiFi products are now manufactured by all the big names in the tech. industry, and the CSIRO is left without any royalties.

They have been quietly requesting payment since this time, but were ignored or taken advantage of by whatever legal loopholes the American patent law system has. Anyway, in 2005 they decided to proceed with legal action against the companies in question. This decision was not taken lightly as, being primarily a research organisation funded with Australian taxpayers money, the potential problems for using Australian tax dollars to fund a legal case that many people would not understand were obvious. Not only that, but while funding was being diverted to lawyers, it was being diverted away from the CSIROs primary function: research.

More in the news: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/02/2533416.htm

The definition of a patent troll is a company who patents pretty much anything they can think of; waiting for some large company to use the idea in their products, then popping up out of nowhere and saying "Hey! We own that idea! Pay up." This is not the course of action that the CSIRO has been taking, and even more so, they are a legitimate research organisation and not a company that exists purely to troll for patent infrigment revenue.

[Owen @ Apr 3rd 2009 12:53AM]

Approved in 1996, not 2996.