Sony Sued for Blu-Ray Patent Violation

Jaidan writes "According to a Gamespot article, a California-based company named Target Technology is suing Sony over patents it allegedly holds for silver based reflective surfaces. The suit claims that products marketed under the Blu-ray name infringe on a patent it owns for reflective layer materials in optical discs. Target is seeking a permanent injunction preventing Sony from violating its patent rights in the future, as well as damages with interest, multiplied due to what it characterizes as deliberate and willful infringement. ' The patent addresses what Target called a need for specific types of silver-based alloys with the advantages (but not the price) of gold. According to the patent, the alloys are also more resistant to corrosion than pure silver. Target does not specify in its suit whether it believes all of Sony's Blu-ray discs infringe on its patent, or the suit applies to just a portion of the discs manufactured. The patent was filed in April of 2004 and granted in March of 2006.'"

Target?

[Anonymous Coward]

In other news, Target Brands is suing Target Technology for trademark violations.

Re:Think fast...

[Anonymous Coward]

Why the hell did *you* jump to the conclusion that this was bogus?

Because this is Slashdot.

Sounds familiar...

[Guppy06]

Does this mean that BluRay capabilities will be (purely by coincidence) removed from the PlayStation 4 as Sony execs try to tell us that high-capacity disks are so "last gen?"

Re:Hope they fight

[Hognoxious]

No, because Fred Brooks [wikipedia.org] has already copyrighted the fact that they don't exist.

Re:Hope they fight

[Belacgod]

Watered-down beer has to have prior art from the 1940s. I think it was on here that I read about the beer where 80% of tasters in a double-blind taste-test preferred horse piss, and the other 20% thought both were horse piss. I forget which beer though.

Re:Think fast...

[XnavxeMiyyep]

Don't argue with this guy! Patent is his middle, err, last name.

Re:Think fast...

[Phisbut]

Yes, it's slashdot. Which means that anything that's bad for SONY, is good for karma!

However, every now and then, we get stuck in some sort of paradox, like when Jack Thompson and Microsoft are facing each other [slashdot.org], and we have to take sides...

Next up:

• Jack Thompson vs. Sony
• Microsoft vs. Sony
• ...
• Jack Thompson vs. Soviet Russia
• Profit vs. Microsoft
• Sony vs. Step 2:...
• Jack Thompson vs. Hot Grit

Wait, I've got it!

[Raistlin77]

It's a marketing scheme. Sony and Target are in it together to create a buy-the-PS3-now-before-production-must-cease frenzy. Since there are thousands of PS3s sitting on store shelves collecting dust, this would seem to be the best method at resolving the problem in a hurry. Then as soon as the overstock problem is resolved, Sony and Target mysteriously settle on undisclosed terms.

Can We have the "HaHa" Tag Back Just for This One?

[akpoff]

It's Sony for pity's sake. This is one company even the Linux and Windows fanboys agree to hate. ;-)

Re:Think fast...

[rilian4]

"...The patent owner has to be able to walk away. And while he's walked away, it's not fair for the company to go to the patent office and say, "Hey, we offered him a nice shiny quarter, and he wouldn't sell. He's not using it so you should take the patent away."

...the company better watch out. If that shiny quarter was dated 1964 or earlier, it has silver in it...they could get sued!!

Re:Think fast...

[kypper]

Well obviously hot grits... who would pour Jack Thompson down one's pants??