WiavSolutions
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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 suitRead - WiAV's complaint [Warning: PDF]
