AmiCOUR IP Group News and Opinions

Welcome to the AmiCOUR IP Blog.  We invite your comments.  Past Issues.

June 28, 2010 - Read the opinion.

June 27, 2010 - Today cnet reported that new Droid-X Verizon phones will include a built in mobile hotspot capability to host nearby computers.  In other news, Apple filed another complaint against HTC alleging infringement of a user interface feature.  HTC also faces ITC action.

Update June 25, 2010 - Salesforce.com has filed counterclaims against Microsoft alleging .NET and SharePoint infringe its patents.  The Delaware suit requests injunctive relief and damages. See Klatu story below.

June 24, 2010 - On the same day Frontier Communications' 7,742,468 patent was issued, the Connecticut company filed suit against Google Voice alleging "deliberate infringement." Its '468 patent was filed on September 1, 2009, and claims a priority date of February 2007.  In addition to asking how someone deliberately infringes a newly issued patent, the four page demand for injunctive relief and a jury trial did not help answer a more pressing question:  Google Voice acquired Grand Central, founded in 2005 and similar to others, and if all these systems were up and running before Frontier applied for its patent, how could the half day of alleged infringement be deliberate?  Frontier attorneys may need to call the inventor for help, and perhaps to explain why they were slow to file despite their rush to to the courthouse.   Google patents returns the '468, or does it? Despite the odd form of "notice" they may already have the best prior art.

AmiBLOG Update - Oil giant BP has contracted to use 32 of actor Kevin Costner's "V-20" oil cleanup machines, each capable of processing 210,000 gallons daily.  The centrifuge separation technology is taught and claimed in USPN 5,762,800, assigned to Costner Industries Nevada, Inc. Its lead inventor performed related separation research as a chemist at Idaho National Labs.  Read the May AmiBLOG.

June 15, 2010 - With news reports dominated by the BP oil spill, few have mentioned the alternate of two evils: nuclear power.  Fast Company today reported that Bill Gates backed TerraPower received a $35 million investment round to team with Toshiba to develop small sized "traveling wave" nuclear reactors.  Read entire article.

June 15, 2010 - With mainline media focus on BP, Internet news competed for true news junkies: Today's stories included claims of an Al Gore affair, a fainting General, the iPhone 4 rush, and a Jesus statute struck by lightning. Yikes. Google trends counts searches, using its own adjectives to rank "keyword hotness." Laurie David, the woman behind Gore, took top spot as "volcanic" along with the related keywords including the name of the former presidential candidate, all the while outranking Al. The Brazil v Korea soccer match ranked 8th as "on fire."  Lightning hitting the 50 foot statute ranked 16th as "spicy" (we don't make these up, Google does). The iPhone?  Came and went.  Retailers had trouble logging in to "pre order" as allocations ray dry. iPhone4s may be "spicy" again when AT&T and Apple can deliver.  That story about President Obama stopping in at an Alabama grill for a rum concoction called a "Bushwacker" didn't even rank with news junkies.  Not volcanic, or on fire, not even spicy.  Just an ordinary everyday Tacky Jack's bushwacker. Read comments.

June 3, 2010 - Google and the USPTO announced the availability of bulk patent and trademark data just after the WPO announced its free program called WIPO Gold Service.  Read entire article.

June 2, 2010 - Plaintiff CoMentis, Inc asked a Federal Judge for permission to amend its complaint against Purdue Research Foundation in a dispute which began over terms to license the Foundation's IP. Read entire article.

June 1,  2010 - After taking it on the chin in the Federal Courts, settling other infringement claims, and speaking out for patent reform, Microsoft may have awakened its enforcement forces to protect its own patent rights. Read entire article.