GraphOn files patent suit against Google

Updated 10:35 a.m. PDT:Google's decline to comment has been added.

Software maker GraphOn has filed suit against search giant Google, alleging that Google's Base, AdWords, Blogger, Sites, and YouTube services violate GraphOn's patents

GraphOn, based in Santa Cruz, Calif., acquired the patents through its acquisition of Network Engineering Software, a privately held network software company, in 2005. The suit was filed in United States District Court in the Eastern District of Texas.

A spokesman for Google said the company has not received the complaint yet, and therefore had no comment.

According to GraphOn, the Google suit follows similar claims against AutoTrader.com, Classified Ventures, IAC/InterActiveCorp, Match.com, Yahoo, eHarmony.com, and CareerBuilder.

The suit involves patents 6,324,538; 6,850,940; 7,028,034; and 7,269,591, which involve a method of maintaining an automated and network-accessible database.

GraphOn is seeking permanent injunctive relief along with unspecified damages.

[dpip]

What a load. The US Patent office needs to find the people who issues these amazingly vague patents, line them all up against a wall and beat them with a whiffle bat. I can't understand how such a vague patent is ever issued. That is like me going and getting a patent for a silicon based plate that can be formed in various sizes and shapes which allows an end user to view objects on the other side of the plate without special equipment.... OOh. I just patented glass. Everyone pay me. I hope that this suite and all others like it are thrown out, and these idiots stop wasting the court's time and taxpayer money. AND their patents need to be revoked.

[michaelo1966]

They invented storing and retrieving stuff from computers in 1998. Weird, I could swear -- literally, under oath -- that I'd been writing programs that store information and allowed users to search and retrieve it before then. I'd bet any software engineer working before then could do the same. The USPTO is an embarrassing sewer; hopefully Obama will win and his administration will purge the PTO administration sending half the staff -- on both the patent and trademark sides -- out to pasture.

[Wander9s]

All they want: MONEY period(.) Check court and judge to verify who he is and his nationality to see if both of them come same nationality if not origin from American before go out to court for this stupidity.

[Wander9s]

All they want: MONEY period(.) Check court and judge to verify who he is and his nationality to see if both of them come same nationality if not origin from American before go out to court for this non-sense patent.

[askgees]

To bad the Supreme Court ruled last month against idiots like Graphon. I only hope the courts dismiss the case and fine Graphon for wasting the courts time.

[tekwiz4u]

These patent trolls make me sick. So they cant make money on thier own, so they start to seek others with technology that they think they own. Total BS. Patent trolls stifile innovation. What makes them think that they are the ONLY ones that can come up with a idea and file it? There are other great minds out there people that can come up with the same ideas. Get a grip.

[Elidine]

Im glad he is taking them to court. Google is an evil empire that needs to be taken down. They are worse than apple and microsoft put together

[kwhsy82]

Why is this even news??? Every large software firm gets hit with patent infringement suits every day. I was COO of a mid-sized firm and we got hit with these twice a month. MIcrosoft has a bunch of lawyers and paralegals dedicated to dealing with this. It's about as newsworthy as finding a bug in Picassa or Excel. Whoever is perceived as having deep pockets gets hit with these.