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Re: PJ's in a snit


From: Rjack
Subject: Re: PJ's in a snit
Date: Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:16:42 -0500
User-agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.19 (Windows/20081209)

RonB wrote:
On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:47:39 -0600, Rjack <user@example.net>
wrote:

PJ over at Groklaw has gotten her panties tied into a knot over
the Microsoft - TomTom patent dispute.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090304114657350

Seems everybody's in a snit because "Microsoft is attacking
Linux". As I surf the net I see Free Softies everywhere whining
about TomTom not being able to license Microsoft patents
because of the GPL. What baffles me is why there isn't a peep
out there about TomTom suing the pants off other navigation
system manufacturers for violating TomTom's patents.

*********************************************************** TomTom Sues Aisin

Dutch navigation device maker TomTom Global Assets BV
reportedly has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against
Japan’s Aisin AW and its subsidiary AW Technical Center
U.S.A., according to a report by IP Law 360. The complaint was
filed in the U. S. District Court Eastern Division of Texas
Marshall Division. According to the complaint, TomTom
reportedly alleges that Aisin AW and AW Tech infringe four U.S.
patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 5,508,931; 5,515,283; 5,902,350; and 6,542,814) for car navigation systems and displays. TomTom is reportedly asserting that Aisin infringed the patents willfully
and is seeking reasonable royalties, damages, interest, and
legal costs. The company is also asking for an injunction.
Aisin is a member of the Toyota group of companies. Aisin’s
navigation systems are used in automobiles manufactured by
Toyota, Scion, Audi, and GM in North America. ***********************************************************

http://www.gbpatent.com/news/jp92.htm

See also:

http://www.setexasrecord.com/news/208264-recent-patentcopyright-infringement-cases-filed-in-u.s.-district-courts



Sounds a little like Rush Limbaugh whining about "personal
attacks" to me. The word "hypocrisy" apparently doesn't exist
in Free Softies vocabularies.

Sincerely, Rjack :)

It appears to me that TomTom is suing for very specific issues --
how to display exiting an off ramp on a GPS, for example --
whereas Microsoft is suing for general concepts like "using an
integrated computer in a car," or "having a wireless computer in
a car," or using the same FAT system everyone else in the world
is using. (How did that GIF lawsuit go, by the way?) I don't know
the merits of TomTom's lawsuit against the Toyota affiliate (and
it looks like they're being counter-sued), but Microsoft's
lawsuit looks like nothing more than patent trolling.

So TomTom suing over a software patent is like being just a little
bit pregnant?


Is this what Microsoft has been reduced to? -- a patent troll? I
expect they'll be moving their headquarters to Eastern Texas any
month now.

I'm not defending Microsoft and software patents (I don't like
software patents) -- just pointing out the hypocrisy of TomTom
defenders.

Sincerely,
Rjack :)


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