2012年7月24日 星期二

RIM輸的官司,其他公司也難倖免

這個案子學習:
要告,就用一票專利(案、項)來告
主張一個完整技術的專利應用多件專利建立一道牆,可攻可守。事實上NTP握有的專利彼此之間有關聯性,包括同一領域技術、前後母子專利佈局、權利範圍都很多項...
從訴訟中看到一個企業的抵抗手段

NTP公司是一間不生產產品的專利持有公司,手中握有不少電子郵件系統的專利,初創時已有50件專利為基礎。RIM(Research in Motion)為加拿大通訊公司,一度是全美最夯的行動通訊公司。

這個訴訟起源於2000年,當NTP拿著持有的多件專利要求一些公司支付授權金,沒有一間願意給,之後告上法院。一般公司的作法也如同RIM,先不認為自己的產品侵害專利,不願給NTP公司授權金,因此進入訴訟,而訴訟中,RIM也做錯了一些事,比如刻意隱瞞使用新的電子郵件系統,導致被認定蓄意(willful)侵權,因為在與NTP公司訴訟中,法庭上示範RIM的一個電子郵件系統System for Automated Messages (SAM),但是隱瞞自己已經使用更進步的郵件系統,因為在法官判定上,可以因此認定有蓄意侵害的問題,相對罰款也較高。之後RIM在避免被禁入美國而繼續上訴,且也未能達成和解,甚至還與法官說明美國政府官員多數使用RIM的系統,希望能有緩解的餘地,最高法院法官仍駁回,期間也進行系統改進與專利迴避、專利再審(reexamination,如同舉發),但最後仍在可能禁入美國的威脅下與NTP達成和解,和解金達6億美元。

此刻,同樣的事發生在目前檯面上最火紅的通訊與電腦公司,NTP用手中持有的多件專利一併告上法院,最後共有13間公司願意支付權利金,包括Apple, Google, Samsung, hTC等。

在NTP握有的最早的一件專利US5438611來看,所涉及的技術為利用無線電通訊處理的電子郵件系統,用以與外部郵件系統傳訊,系統包括至少一個閘道交換器,可以接收多個處理器所產生的訊息,傳送至多個目的處理器(裝置)、無線電訊息傳送網路,也就是如行動通訊、WiFi等的網路系統、介面交換器,提供前述閘道一個無線界面、有多個處理郵件的處理器的另一外部電子郵件系統,內外郵件系統之間為有線相連。

1. A system for transmitting originated information from one of a plurality of originating processors in an electronic mail system to at least one of a plurality of destination processors in an electronic mail system comprising:

at least one gateway switch, the at least one gateway switch storing originated information received from one of the plurality of originating processors prior to transmission of the originated information to the at least one of the plurality of the destination processors;

a RF information transmission network for transmitting the originated information to at least one RF receiver which transfers the originated information to the at least one of the plurality of destination processors;

at least one interface switch, the at least one interface switch being coupled to at least one gateway switch and to the RF information transmission network and transmitting the originated information received from the at least one gateway switch to the RF information transmission network; and

at least one additional processor with each additional processor being coupled to at least one interface switch, one of the at least one additional processor originating other originated information from outside any electronic mail system for transmission to the at least one of the plurality of destination processors by the RF information transmission network and an address of the at least one of the plurality of destination processors to receive the other originated information transmitted by the RF information transmission network or an identification number of the at least one RF receiver receiving the other originated information for transmission to the at least one of the plurality of the destination processors and transferring the other originated information to the at least one of the plurality of the destination processors; and wherein

the interface switch receiving the other originated information originating from the one additional processor and the address or identification number adds RF network information used by the RF information transmission network during transmission of the other originated information to the at least one RF receiver receiving the other originated information to the other originated information: and

each electronic mail system in the system transmits other information from one of its plurality of originating processors through a wireline to at least one of its plurality of destination processors without transmission using the RF information transmission network.

另有一件的US6317592,涉及一種以無線電通訊傳送訊息的電子郵件系統,如下圖,就是一個很基礎的網路系統,在網路各節點之間傳輸的為電子郵件,不過,到終端則改為RF通訊。根據專利範圍所界定的技術,在此通訊系統中,包括有傳送電子郵件的無線系統,其中的行動處理器將執行電子郵件程式來處理發送訊息到目的地,訊息中載有接收的無線終端的識別方式,還有一個目的地處理器,其中發送訊息的裝置有:執行電子郵件程式的處理器,郵件包括目的地處理器的位址與要傳送的訊息。

1. In a communication system comprising a wireless system which communication system transmits electronic mail inputted to the communication system from an originating device, mobile processors which execute electronic mail programming to function as a destination of electronic mail, and a destination processor to which the electronic mail is transmitted from the originating device and after reception of the electronic mail by the destination processor, information contained in the electronic mail and an identification of a wireless device in the wireless system are transmitted by the wireless system to the wireless device and from the wireless device to one of the mobile processors connected thereto, the originating device comprising:

a programmed processor which executes electronic mail programming to originate the electronic mail, the electronic mail containing an address of the destination processor and the information contained in the electronic mail to be transmitted to the destination processor.

簡單來看,確實已經描述了一個電子郵件系統的樣貌,也從本次提到許多大公司願意付錢的結果看出這些專利的關鍵性。

Ron

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