Acacia Climbing the Food Chain 162
superflex writes "CNet and others have articles today related to a story that appeared here a couple months ago regarding Acacia Media Technologies, who hold several U.S. and international patents that they claim give them exclusive rights to compressed digital media transmission technologies. The previous article, for the lazy among you, was an AskSlashdot about whether the askers' pr0n site should pay license fees to these guys. Seems that since then, they've moved on to some internet radio sites, and are actually getting fees out of them. Their claims haven't been challenged in court yet, but they appear very broad, possibly covering PPV on cable/satellite as well as internet-based streaming. One wonders if they might try going after one of the big boys soon."
They won't go after the big boys until.. (Score:1, Insightful)
Sit back, enjoy and let them learn (Score:2, Insightful)
bullshit, be mad (Score:3, Insightful)
That being said, it is pretty slimy to hold a patent for 12 years and just now start to enforce it
Exactly, be mad! :)
Precedent (Score:2, Insightful)
I would doubt they'll do that until one of the 'small boys' has taken them to court and a precedent has been set.
1. Get patent
2. do { threaten small_sites; } until (court_case_won and legal_precedent_set);
3. Profit from big boys!
You've got to be kidding ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Be mad at them (Score:1, Insightful)
No, the problem is that software is seen as something that is different from everything else and thus can be patented even if there is prior art from the 'real world'. Just take an existing patent, add the claim 'using software' and you own a large market, say encryption, only streaming, whatever. It works like this:
Go shopping with two shopping carts and everything is fine. Display two shopping cart icons on your website, you will be sued. Create a coffee dispenser (You press the button, then insert coins and the coffee comes out). Everythings fine, obvious idea, no problem. But if you do this on a website (press button -> buy book), you will be infringing. Tell your friend the chords of Stairway to Heaven over the telephone, no problem. Stream a MIDI file over the same telephone line, you will be infringing.
Think about it.