Travicity
02-08-2011, 09:33 PM
What happens when billion-dollar multinational technology conglomerates get in a fight? They don't gather around the flagpole after school; instead, they hurl patents at one another, fast and furious.
After filing a complaint against Korean technology company LG in December pertaining to seven US mobile phone patents, Sony finds itself the recipient of a revenge-complaint (a term we just made up) wherein LG claims that "certain electronic devices having a Blu-Ray Disc player and components thereof" violate four of its patents. That includes a lot of devices, like Bravia TVs, but only one piece of Sony hardware was singled out by name: the PlayStation 3 (Model No. CECH-2501A, if you want to be precise).
The complaints are filed with the US International Trade Commission, which has the power to block imports of products that violate US patents. So, in short, LG is looking for the ITC to keep PS3s off American shores. But since that doesn't put any cash money directly in its pockets, LG has "also filed civil suits against Sony in federal court in California, making similar claims and seeking cash compensation for the unauthorized use of its inventions," Bloomberg reports. We think we speak for everyone when we say that we liked it better when fights were settled with violence.
After filing a complaint against Korean technology company LG in December pertaining to seven US mobile phone patents, Sony finds itself the recipient of a revenge-complaint (a term we just made up) wherein LG claims that "certain electronic devices having a Blu-Ray Disc player and components thereof" violate four of its patents. That includes a lot of devices, like Bravia TVs, but only one piece of Sony hardware was singled out by name: the PlayStation 3 (Model No. CECH-2501A, if you want to be precise).
The complaints are filed with the US International Trade Commission, which has the power to block imports of products that violate US patents. So, in short, LG is looking for the ITC to keep PS3s off American shores. But since that doesn't put any cash money directly in its pockets, LG has "also filed civil suits against Sony in federal court in California, making similar claims and seeking cash compensation for the unauthorized use of its inventions," Bloomberg reports. We think we speak for everyone when we say that we liked it better when fights were settled with violence.