Sony has bought $3.6 million in intellectual property from imaging technology company Ipix, a court has revealed.
The auction for the Ipix intellectual property assets, which includes patents held domestically and abroad, took place in open court as part of the company's bankruptcy sale, according to a court order granting Ipix permission to sell its intellectual property and assets.
Ipix, which traded on the Nasdaq, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 31, 2006, with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Sony was initially represented by a law firm as an anonymous bidder and won with the highest offer: $3.6 million for all of Ipix's patents held both domestically and internationally, as well as any outstanding patent applications or provisional patent applications on new inventions. It was revealed on Friday, at a court hearing approving the sale, that Sony was the bidder.
The sale included more than 35 U.S. patents and patent applications on technology involving immersive still photography, 360-degree digital immersive video and a camera with gigapixel resolution, as well as more than 50 patents and patent applications on the same or similar technology filed in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, the European Union and Japan.
Sony confirmed the purchase, but did not wish to comment.
Ipix is best known for developing technology that converts two 180-degree digital images into a rotational 360-degree panoramic view. The technology was popular in the real estate industry because it enabled people to view entire rooms remotely via the Internet.
With funding from NASA and the Department of Energy, Ipix developed 360-by-360-degree immersion navigation--a camera-and-software system that allows remote control of digital panning, tilting and zoom functions. The system can be integrated with other surveillance technology for detecting motion and monitoring room temperature and alarm systems. The technology was used at President Bush's second inaugural parade, the 2004 G8 Summit and the 2004 Democratic and Republican national conventions, according to Ipix statements.
In June 2005, Ipix also won a $2.4 million contract from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to develop the "world's highest resolution video camera" for use in capturing wide-area views from high altitudes.
Hope Sony doesn't follow IPIX's litigation pattern
IPIX became universally hated amongst the 360 degree panorama creating community because of its long history of suing companies with "QuickTime VR" like creation products that used fisheye lenses.
Because of these dubious patents (which amounted to little more than patenting a basic mathematical formula for calculating optical distortion, known about since about the 15th Century), IPIX was able to drive about six panorama companies out of business.
This prompted a widespread boycott amongst panorama enthusiasts until the name "IPIX" literally and figuratively became a four letter word. There's every chance this enmity helped drive them to bankruptcy.
Sony, don't do the same with these patents. They are tainted.
Web giant is spending $120 million to beef up its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, according to filings with the city reviewed by the San Jose Mercury News.
The Samsung Galaxy mini 2 S6500 could make its debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, according to a leaked promotional image.
Tor's "obfsproxy" technology would make encrypted data look innocuous and let it dodge government censors. That could help citizens in Iran reach blocked sites as antigovernment protests reportedly loom.
MIT creates a simulation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spacewar. A relic of the early days of minicomputers, it was one of the first computer video games and set the stage for many others, including Asteroids.
George Lucas has just released his version of "Star Wars" in 3D, but c'mon--the guy believes Greedo shot first. Why not make your own Star Wars world? In the first installment of a Crave series, a crack team of crafters fight the power and turn paper bags into the Rebel Alliance's Admiral Ackbar. It's a sack!
panorama creating community because of its long history of
suing companies with "QuickTime VR" like creation products that
used fisheye lenses.
Because of these dubious patents (which amounted to little more
than patenting a basic mathematical formula for calculating
optical distortion, known about since about the 15th Century),
IPIX was able to drive about six panorama companies out of
business.
This prompted a widespread boycott amongst panorama
enthusiasts until the name "IPIX" literally and figuratively became
a four letter word. There's every chance this enmity helped drive
them to bankruptcy.
Sony, don't do the same with these patents. They are tainted.