Holiday Gift Guide »

Firm awarded patent on smartphones – Apple, Nokia, RIM, HTC, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, AT&T, Sprint, everyone gets sued

Categories: Announcements
By: , IntoMobile
Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 10:24 AM

Patent holding firm awarded smartphone patent, sues everyoneDid that title just spike your blood pressure? Well it damn sure almost gave us a freakin’ stroke.

It seems that the USPTO, in all their patent approving wisdom, has awarded a patent holding firm a patent on a “mobile entertainment and communication device.” Okay, the patent title sounds inconspicuous enough, but the patent covers a mobile phone with removable storage, camera, internet connection, and the ability to download video and audio files.

Raise your hand if that patent-description reminds you of the smartphone that you use everyday.

The patent was issued last Tuesday, after which point, the firm promptly filed suit (three different suits, actually) against just about everyone in the mobile phone industry. Apple, Nokia, RIM, Sprint, AT&T, HP, Motorola, Helio, HTC, Sony Ericsson, UTStarcomm, and Samsung are named among the defendants in this case.

To make matter worse, the patent was issued on the premise of a “continuation filing,” in which a patent holder apply for a patent to cover technologies that have already emerged and hit the market. Here’s the kicker – the patent application was basically a combination of well-known technologies and concepts that were already in use, a patent-practice that the Supreme Court recently ruled does not deserve a patent.

Has anyone over at the USPTO ever heard of “prior art?” Apparently not. A patent on a smartphone?! We still can’t believe it.

[Via: TechDirt]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • Kirollos Fares

    You have got to be kidding me?! :?: :?:

  • fenris

    Well, good luck with that suit, to whoever filed it. Rofl.

  • Topy

    That’s just hillarious. Gl with that.

  • Zi

    haha.. i’m still laughing over this… Crazzyyy stuff… It’s like some1 patented the traditional fork and spoon!

  • MicahH

    I just hope they don’t get any money from these suits. That would be absolutely ridiculous, although I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them settle.

  • Andrew

    If they get awarded royalties on this then they could fire all their staff and just hire a legal team.