2015年4月17日 星期五

三星錢給自己承認是troll的專利權人的案例討論

即便專利權人承認他根本沒有產生任何藍牙的發明,但是專利訴訟就是這樣,專利權人仍是可以因此獲得很多賠償,理由無它,就是很久以前的技術涵蓋到目前的技術上,就本案來看,即便目前的通訊方式有多炫,BT, WiFi, NFC, ZigBee, UWB,都不脫是兩個裝置的連線...。

這篇文章資料來源:
http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-fined-16-million-over-bluetooth-2015-2?op=1
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/02/patent-troll-claims-to-own-bluetooth-scores-15-7m-verdict-against-samsung/

訴訟有關Bluetooth2.0規格的專利爭議。專利權人(告訴人)Gordon Bremer/Rembrandt,以兩件專利(US8,023,580US8,457,228)對三星(Samsung Inc.)提出侵權告訴,相關專利技術為電腦數據機(modem)之間即時通訊的技術。

回想也不過是10年前吧,每部電腦為了上網,都會內建(界面卡)或外接(RS232)數據機,然後用撥號(撥號軟體)的方式,噔噔噔噔噔噔,然後一陣撥音後噪音,接通到網路服務業者,之後就醬可以開啟netscape/ie/telnet等的瀏覽器上網了!

以上一連串步驟大約會花個1分鐘吧!還好嗎?現在只要慢了兩秒鐘就會令人跳腳。於是,本次系爭專利就對這些步驟提出解決方案,讓不同品牌的數據機之間可以相容而立即連線。

被告侵權的Bluetooth2.0現行的技術也有類似效果,就是能夠快速連線,不同於先前版本(第一代藍牙技術為愛立信發表於1994年)的藍牙通訊前都要花點時間搜尋裝置、配對等動作。

在法院上,即便系爭專利專利權人Gordon Bremer承認(必須承認)自己對藍牙通訊並無任何貢獻,更表明自己將在勝訴後自Rembrandt IP抽2.5%("發明人"於本案從15000000美金取得當中2.5%,訴訟背後是Rembrandt IP支援的),並已於過去9年已經取得67萬美金。相關消息更表示,本次受理法院(Eastern District of Texas, in Marshall, Texas)有名地傾向小規模專利權人對大企業提告,但對手是訴訟熟手三星,不是別人,三星甚至也常在這個法院進行訴訟,更對當地學校、學生獎學金、公共建設有很多貢獻(美國訴訟打到要對當地居民友善也是奇觀)。

案件資訊:

告訴人:Rembrandt Wireless Technologies, LP
系爭專利:US8,023,580US8,457,228
被告:Samsung Electronics Co., LTD.(另也對BlackBerry提出類似告訴)
被告侵權產品:手機、平板、電視等採用Bluetooth2.0者

US8,023,580 (優先權溯及1997年)
一種使用至少兩個調變技術的通訊系統與方法,可以讓至少兩個型式的數據裝置互相通訊,其一設為master,其餘則為slave,兩者之間進行調變轉換,請求項就提出如何進行調變轉換的動作。

1. A communication device capable of communicating according to a master/slave relationship in which a slave communication from a slave to a master occurs in response to a master communication from the master to the slave, the device comprising: 
a transceiver, in the role of the master according to the master/slave relationship, for sending at least transmissions modulated using at least two types of modulation methods, wherein the at least two types of modulation methods comprise a first modulation method and a second modulation method, wherein the second modulation method is of a different type than the first modulation method, wherein each transmission comprises a group of transmission sequences, wherein each group of transmission sequences is structured with at least a first portion and a payload portion wherein first information in the first portion indicates at least which of the first modulation method and the second modulation method is used for modulating second information in the payload portion, wherein at least one group of transmission sequences is addressed for an intended destination of the payload portion, and wherein for the at least one group of transmission sequences:
the first information for said at least one group of transmission sequences comprises a first sequence, in the first portion and modulated according to the first modulation method, wherein the first sequence indicates an impending change from the first modulation method to the second modulation method, and
the second information for said at least one group of transmission sequences comprises a second sequence that is modulated according to the second modulation method, wherein the second sequence is transmitted after the first sequence.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a third sequence after the second sequence, wherein the third sequence is transmitted in the first modulation method and indicates that communication from the master to the slave has reverted to the first modulation method.

59. The device of claim 58, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit a third sequence after the second sequence, wherein the third sequence is transmitted in the first modulation method and indicates that communication from the master to the slave has reverted to the first modulation method.

US8,457,228
1. A master communication device configured to communicate with one or more slave transceivers according to a master/slave relationship in which a slave communication from a slave device to the master communication device occurs in response to a master communication from the master communication device to the slave device, the master communication device comprising:

a master transceiver configured to transmit a first message over a communication medium from the master transceiver to the one or more slave transceivers, wherein the first message comprises:
first information modulated according to a first modulation method,
second information, including a payload portion, modulated according to the first modulation method, wherein the second information comprises data intended for one of the one or more slave transceivers and
first message address information that is indicative of the one of the one or more slave transceivers being an intended destination of the second information; and
said master transceiver configured to transmit a second message over the communication medium from the master transceiver to the one or more slave transceivers wherein the second message comprises:
third information modulated according to the first modulation method, wherein the third information comprises information that is indicative of an impending change in modulation to a second modulation method, and
fourth information, including a payload portion, transmitted after transmission of the third information, the fourth information being modulated according to the second modulation method, the second modulation method being of a different type than the first modulation method, wherein the fourth information comprises data intended for a single slave transceiver of the one or more slave transceivers, and
second message address information that is indicative of the single slave transceiver being an intended destination of the fourth information; and
wherein the second modulation method results in a higher data rate than the first modulation method.
21. The master communication device as in claim 1, wherein the first information that is included in the first message comprises the first message address data.

陪審團判決的勝訴相關請求項以及賠償金額:


後語:
這件案子有趣的是,發明人Gordon與Rembrandt IP有長期合作,發明人反而是勝訴後從律師(訴訟代理人)抽得較小比例的金額,發明人、專利權人都是Gordon,應該不是很爽。不過勝訴還是要靠律師,自己也不從事生產,只好認了!

Rembrandt IP擺明是個patent troll,也曾對Apple Inc.提出專利告訴,但是法院意見沒有受到這些記錄影響,仍是判賠很大的賠償金額,相對於不事生產的人來說,這筆錢很大,如此結果,使得在美國的企業有很大的風險,只能說期待三星上訴。

Ron

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