patent

Patent office rejects subdomain patent claims

Technology firms are often hampered by patent disputes, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office called into question last week a patent that had the potential to disrupt the habits of millions of Internet users.

The PTO rejected all 20 patent claims over Internet subdomains held by a company called Hoshiko, which were used to bully sites like LiveJournal and Freehomepage.com and pursue litigation against larger companies like Google. The idea behind how to manage subdomains--domains hosted within larger domains, such as news.cnet.com--is too obvious to patent, the PTO ruled after the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation … Read more

HP focuses on patent quality, IBM on quantity

Microsoft may get a lot of grief for its patent strategy, but IBM carries the biggest patent portfolio by far. In fact, Big Blue has acquired more patents than any other company on the planet for the last 16 years running.

This is particularly interesting when you discover, as The Wall Street Journal recently did, that Hewlett-Packard, one of IBM's fiercest competitors, is actually slowing its patent applications. In HP's words, its emphasis now is on patent quality, not quantity:

HP was once trying to compete with IBM as the most prolific patent producer...But after Chief Executive … Read more

Patent wars: RealNetworks wins; Global Crossing pays up

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

RealNetworks defeated a patent infringement suit that was trying to come back from the dead. Meanwhile, Global Crossing licensed a portfolio of call center patents from Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, an outfit that collects dough from a who's who of corporate America.

First, RealNetworks said Tuesday that it defeated an attempt by Friskit to revive a patent infringement suit that sought damages of $70 million. In a statement, RealNetworks outlined:

The Federal Circuit in Washington D.C. upheld a 2007 ruling in which Judge William W. Schwarzer of … Read more

Microsoft outlines pay-per-use PC vision

Microsoft has applied for a patent on metered, pay-as-you-go computing.

U.S. patent application number 20080319910, published on Christmas Day, details Microsoft's vision of a situation where a "standard model" of PC is given away or heavily subsidized by someone in the supply chain. The end user then pays to use the computer, with charges based on both the length of usage time and the performance levels utilized, along with a "one-time charge."

Microsoft notes in the application that the end user could end up paying more for the computer, compared with the one-off cost … Read more

Google, Microsoft, Apple sued over preview icons

This post was updated on January 5 and January 7 with corrected and updated information about the plaintiff company, an updated link to an amended filing, and a comment from Google. See bottom of post for correction.

An Arizona-based networking company on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Google, Microsoft, and Apple, alleging that all three tech giants violated a patent it owns on the use of document-preview icons--or thumbnails--in operating systems.

In the suit, Cygnus Systems targets Google's Chrome, Microsoft's Vista and Internet Explorer 8, and Apple's iPhone, Safari, and Mac OS X as patent infringers. Apple … Read more

Apple files 'swipe-gesture' patent application

While children were nestled all snug in their beds, Apple apparently had visions of improved touch-screens in its innovative head.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed a patent application from Apple, dated Christmas Day, for a swipe-gesture system to be used on touch-screen keyboards. It would allow a person to "perform certain functions using swipes across the key area rather than tapping particular keys," according to the patent application, authored by Wayne Westerman.

For example, the application explains that leftward, rightward, upward, and downward swipes might be assigned to inserting a space, backspacing, shifting, or inserting … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 877: Listener co-host show No. 1

Finally, we get to bring you, the listener, on to the show and tell you how cool you are. Today's co-hosts: Frank the Patent Lawyer, Chris the Podcaster, Allen099, and Phatemokid!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Microsoft settles with mouse maker

Microsoft on Wednesday announced it has reached a settlement agreement with Primax Electronics, a mouse maker the software company sued in July for patent infringement.

As part of the settlement, Primax has entered into a nonexclusive licensing agreement that covers Microsoft's patents for U2 and Tilt Wheel technology, for both past and future sales of relevant Primax products in the United States. The rest of the settlement terms are confidential.

Microsoft sued the Taiwan-based company over seven patents related to U2 technology, which allows a mouse to connect to either a PS/2 or USB port and auto detect … Read more

Friday Poll: What should Apple patent next?

Apple has recently filed a couple of patents that could shed light on the company's future plans. One addresses the implementation of proximity sensors into its multitouch technology on devices larger than the iPhone. The other suggests a user interface that would present the Mac OS X desktop screen in three dimensions.

Given that patents often portend what's to come, what would you like Apple to take on in its next patent? If none of our answers fit, be sure to suggest your own in the Talkback section.