2012年9月14日 星期五

hTC這回贏了,原告有不實陳述

(本案未追蹤到後續與相關法院文件,在此僅報導而已)

hTC這間被一大堆手機大廠夾擊的品牌公司,在市占率愈來愈低的走向中,一場勝訴的官司是多麼重要!

Henderson之前宣稱,宏達電侵犯了無線網路裝置接收、顯示來電號碼、相片、語音訊息以及多媒體簡訊服務的專利技術,但因為不實陳述(False Statements),讓法院(芝加哥)判定hTC勝訴(Intellect Wireless, Inc. v. HTC Corp., 09- cv-02945, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago))。

提出侵權告訴的Intellect Wireless(一種專利授權公司、專利持有公司)創辦人Daniel Henderson認為hTC侵害其專利權,相關專利涉及手機接收與顯示來電識別資訊、圖片、影片訊息與多媒體訊息服務等的技術。

系爭專利權有兩件,分別為US7,266,186與US7,310,416,這兩件是在同一個專利家族內的延續案,兩者都有一樣的母案(08/726,024、08/177,851)。即便在此專利訴訟中敗訴,但是綜觀所採用的專利案,其專利質量與內容都有一定的水準,美國專利公告本都有80頁以上的內容,權利範圍項次分別有30到40項,顯然是花過功夫的!

US7,266,186

專利涉及電話簿聯絡人名單可遠端更新的技術,聯絡人名單可以用無線通訊的方式傳輸給別人,一旦名單有改變、更新,可以再連線更新,這樣的技術在現在手機的應用頗為普遍,現在的技術甚至已經應用了雲端維護手機聯絡人名單。

這件專利審理過程,遇到很多前案,取得專利的特徵在於將此聯絡人清單更新技術現在在行動裝置上,而且在往來傳輸的訊息中,是透過一個訊息中心(如電信公司)作為傳遞的中樞,訊息中將電話識別資訊載於一個圖像上,就像「來電大頭貼」吧!而且加上可以遠端更新。
現在來看是一般常用技術,但在提出申請的2001年大家在用呼叫器的年代來看,確實為一個頗有新穎的技術。

列舉獨立項Claim 1:

1. A wireless portable communication device for use by a message recipient for receiving a picture from a message originator having a telephone number, comprising:
a receiver operably coupled to receive a message from a message center over a wireless connection the message including a non-facsimile picture supplied by the message originator and a caller ID automatically provided by a communications network that identifies the telephone number of the message originator, the message originator sending the caller ID with the picture to the message center;
a display; and
a controller operably coupled to display the picture and caller ID on the display.


US7,310,416
專利涉及在無線通訊裝置上可以增加或是更新聯絡人資料的技術,在聯絡人清單中具有實際有聯絡或是"可能"會聯絡人的標示,透過不同的提醒方式(比如影像、聲音、文字)讓使用者可以分類聯絡人,同樣也是來電識別資訊(caller ID)伴隨有圖案。


列舉獨立項Claim 1:

1. A wireless portable communication device comprising:
a CPU;
a portable receiver operably coupled to receive a message from a message center over a wireless connection, the message including a non-facsimile picture supplied by the message originator and a caller ID automatically provided by a communications network that identifies the telephone number of the message originator, the message originator sending the caller ID with the picture to the message center, the portable receiver coupled to the CPU;
a memory that stores (1) Caller ID data received and (2) data associated with actual or potential communicants in a database, wherein the data represents at least one of:
a) telephone number;
b) name;
c) address; and,
d) picture information;
a small display coupled to and operable by the CPU that allows viewing data stored in memory that is associated with actual or potential communicants or received Caller ID data;
a connector; and
a detachable input interface that is releasably connected to the connector that is utilized to add or modify the stored data associated with actual or potential communicants.


但即便有如此專利,當地方法院法官發現Daniel Henderson在獲取專利的審理過程中,對美國專利商標局作出為取得專利的不實陳述,因此駁回專利訴訟,判hTC勝訴。


專利權人"Intellect Wireless"的美國核准專利檢索結果:


Ron

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