Apple et al. join forces in fight against wireless patent

The Inquirer reports that Apple, Dell, Microsoft, Intel and Netgear are all seeking, via 2 separate lawsuits, to overturn a 1996 US patent on wireless LAN technology that enables the transmission of data at frequencies in excess of 10GHz. The patent is currently owned by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), an arm of the Australian government, and requires manufacturers to pay a license fee if they incorporate the wireless LAN technology into their hardware.

Hmmm... I wonder what would happen if a handful of manufacturers tried to topple Apple's patents on other now-commonplace technologies like FireWire?