April 4, 2006 5:45 AM PDT
Netflix sues Blockbuster to shut online service
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Online DVD rental company sues rival for patent infringement, asking federal judge to shut down Blockbuster's online service.
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42 comments
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DVDs are physical products and, as such, are no different than anything else that can be rented or bought online. Only last month, I rented scaffolding from a company using their website. Does Netflix have a right to sue them as well? Or is there something magical about DVDs that makes renting them different from renting a car or a hotel room?
The second patent, that seems to be about keeping customer orders straight, isn't an innovation. It's a normal part running any kind of mail order businss. If I subscribe to a magazine, I expect to receive April's issue before May's. If I join a book club, I expect to get the Fellowship of the Ring before the Two Towers. Will Netflix be coming after Readers' Digest next?
Once again, we see companies trying to patent fresh air and the patent office going right along with them.
This nonsense has to stop.
DVDs are physical products and, as such, are no different than anything else that can be rented or bought online. Only last month, I rented scaffolding from a company using their website. Does Netflix have a right to sue them as well? Or is there something magical about DVDs that makes renting them different from renting a car or a hotel room?
The second patent, that seems to be about keeping customer orders straight, isn't an innovation. It's a normal part running any kind of mail order businss. If I subscribe to a magazine, I expect to receive April's issue before May's. If I join a book club, I expect to get the Fellowship of the Ring before the Two Towers. Will Netflix be coming after Readers' Digest next?
Once again, we see companies trying to patent fresh air and the patent office going right along with them.
This nonsense has to stop.
Must be a pretty low grade of moron in the US patent office these days.
Must be a pretty low grade of moron in the US patent office these days.
Can I patent the action of moving my finger up-and down. It can be use to click on a keyboard? It could also be use to click on a mouse. What a great patent!!!
Utter garbage.
Can I patent the action of moving my finger up-and down. It can be use to click on a keyboard? It could also be use to click on a mouse. What a great patent!!!
Utter garbage.
Now who gets to pay for all this legal BS...you the consumer in higher than needed fees...The lawyers get rich and the consumer gets it up the shoot.
Even if a company isn't sued by some joker who thinks he holds the patent on saying 'have a nice day,' it has to behave as if it will. So it spends an inordinate amount on legal counsel, patent experts and sheer paperwork, against the day when some litigant crawls from under the carpet and starts flinging suits left and right.
All this expense is pasted directly onto the purchase price of the products you buy. It's the innovation tax and it's paid to lawyers.
Now who gets to pay for all this legal BS...you the consumer in higher than needed fees...The lawyers get rich and the consumer gets it up the shoot.
Even if a company isn't sued by some joker who thinks he holds the patent on saying 'have a nice day,' it has to behave as if it will. So it spends an inordinate amount on legal counsel, patent experts and sheer paperwork, against the day when some litigant crawls from under the carpet and starts flinging suits left and right.
All this expense is pasted directly onto the purchase price of the products you buy. It's the innovation tax and it's paid to lawyers.
What ever happened to competition. I guess the practice is "if you don't want competition, patent it." What is this?
This is as unbelievable as it gets. Next thing you know someone is going to put a patent on power chords.
After cancelling my Netflix subs for a month because of their stalling practices, I'll be doing it again because this is nonsense.
It begs the question "how did Netflix get Wal-Mart to cancel its online video rental store." Netflix CEO said he just talked to them, and they agreed to stop. Now, I wonder if he told them about their patent over the whole process of renting online and out of fear Wal-Mart decided to go along with it, and silently killed the service.
I guess no more Netflix for me after this month. Disgusting.
Out of curiosity what service do you think you will switch too (if you are going to sign up again with one?)
What ever happened to competition. I guess the practice is "if you don't want competition, patent it." What is this?
This is as unbelievable as it gets. Next thing you know someone is going to put a patent on power chords.
After cancelling my Netflix subs for a month because of their stalling practices, I'll be doing it again because this is nonsense.
It begs the question "how did Netflix get Wal-Mart to cancel its online video rental store." Netflix CEO said he just talked to them, and they agreed to stop. Now, I wonder if he told them about their patent over the whole process of renting online and out of fear Wal-Mart decided to go along with it, and silently killed the service.
I guess no more Netflix for me after this month. Disgusting.
Out of curiosity what service do you think you will switch too (if you are going to sign up again with one?)
In light of this finding, i've now filed a patent for cutting my front lawn on an angle, rather than on a parallel or perpendicular line to the front face of my home.
For all of you who cut your lawn this way, you better watch out! :)
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/robomow/" target="_newWindow">http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/robomow/</a>
In light of this finding, i've now filed a patent for cutting my front lawn on an angle, rather than on a parallel or perpendicular line to the front face of my home.
For all of you who cut your lawn this way, you better watch out! :)
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/robomow/" target="_newWindow">http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/robomow/</a>
This suit turns it upside down. I don't know if they are dealing the deathblow to BBO, but it certainly shows signs of weakness. IMHO, only desparate companies/people sue.
This suit turns it upside down. I don't know if they are dealing the deathblow to BBO, but it certainly shows signs of weakness. IMHO, only desparate companies/people sue.
Blockbuster seems to be changing the terms of service on the weekly free in-store coupons. Some of the weekly coupons now have restrictions in fine prints that limit free rentals to new one week rentals or non-new releases.
Blockbuster online subscribers currently receive one coupon a week by email for a free in-store movie rental. In the past, these coupons could be used for new two-day or weekly rentals, or for the older movies.
In the last few days, I noticed the restrictions on two customers when I unsuccessfully tried to use their coupons to rent new, two-days movies. After trying to process the coupons per standard Blockbuster procedures, I scanned the fine prints and noticed the changes. Neither customer was aware of any new restrictions.
As a current Blockbuster employee, I questioned the store manager, who was also unaware of any policy change for the free in-store rental coupons from Blockbuster online. The store manager contacted his district training manager, who was also apparently unaware of any changes.
This apparent change is significant since it restricts customers from renting some of the newest released, most-in-demand movies.
According to the store manager, Blockbuster is pushing employees to sell online movie passes. The weekly free coupons are some of the sales tools used to help promote the online service.
Blockbuster employees should be informed of changes so they can accurately present products and promotions. Customers deserve to be informed of any restrictions on the coupon use--before signing up for service. And perhaps, current subscription holders should also be informed of any change to service.
Last side note: So far, have only personally seen coupons from two customers that contained the new restrictions. During the past week, other customers presented coupons that worked "normally".
What's crazy is that the employees aren't even aware. The service rep tried scanning and manually entering my coupon for 10 minutes until she could get the attention of the store manager. Fortunately the manager comped the rental this time.
It's bad enough that they made this change period, but to not inform the customers nor their own employees is just inane. I will have to see how the weekly rentals provision affects my experience; I terminated Hollywood Video's membership program (MVP) because it took too long for new releases to become available for MVP renting.
-J
Blockbuster seems to be changing the terms of service on the weekly free in-store coupons. Some of the weekly coupons now have restrictions in fine prints that limit free rentals to new one week rentals or non-new releases.
Blockbuster online subscribers currently receive one coupon a week by email for a free in-store movie rental. In the past, these coupons could be used for new two-day or weekly rentals, or for the older movies.
In the last few days, I noticed the restrictions on two customers when I unsuccessfully tried to use their coupons to rent new, two-days movies. After trying to process the coupons per standard Blockbuster procedures, I scanned the fine prints and noticed the changes. Neither customer was aware of any new restrictions.
As a current Blockbuster employee, I questioned the store manager, who was also unaware of any policy change for the free in-store rental coupons from Blockbuster online. The store manager contacted his district training manager, who was also apparently unaware of any changes.
This apparent change is significant since it restricts customers from renting some of the newest released, most-in-demand movies.
According to the store manager, Blockbuster is pushing employees to sell online movie passes. The weekly free coupons are some of the sales tools used to help promote the online service.
Blockbuster employees should be informed of changes so they can accurately present products and promotions. Customers deserve to be informed of any restrictions on the coupon use--before signing up for service. And perhaps, current subscription holders should also be informed of any change to service.
Last side note: So far, have only personally seen coupons from two customers that contained the new restrictions. During the past week, other customers presented coupons that worked "normally".
What's crazy is that the employees aren't even aware. The service rep tried scanning and manually entering my coupon for 10 minutes until she could get the attention of the store manager. Fortunately the manager comped the rental this time.
It's bad enough that they made this change period, but to not inform the customers nor their own employees is just inane. I will have to see how the weekly rentals provision affects my experience; I terminated Hollywood Video's membership program (MVP) because it took too long for new releases to become available for MVP renting.
-J