Apple, RIM sued by software maker Openwave over patents

Legal

Openwave Systems has filed patent infringement lawsuits against Apple and Research In Motion with a Delaware federal court and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Openwave believes products from both firms infringe on five patents related to how “mobile devices connect to the internet,” Bloomberg reports. The iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry Curve were all named in the suit. Openwave said it filed the lawsuits after it did not “receive a substantive response” when it offered both firms the option to license its technology. It hopes the threat of having the ITC block imports of the products “will lead the companies to negotiate licensing agreements.” “Openwave invented technologies that became foundational to the mobile Internet,” Openwave CEO Ken Denman said. “We believe that these large companies should pay us for the use of our technologies, particularly in light of the substantial revenue these companies have earned from devices that use our intellectual property.”

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12 Comments
  • http://twitter.com/UrbanEnigma Yves

    I’m convinced the only ones making money from technology these days is Apple and patent lawyers

  • http://www.sk1wbw.wordpress.com Wayne Williams

    Aren’t ALL devices that connect to the internet “mobile”?  Laptops, desktops, et al?  I can’t believe someone can patent a way that a mobile device can connect to the internet..

  • Anonymous

    YES! I don’t care who they are and what they do and if they’re a good company or not, but I, along with all Goofans (aka Apple Haters), support them, just because they’re going against Apple. I know, it’s irrational, but so are we…

  • Technowiz

    Apple opened up a can of worms with these patent disputes… now it’s a gongshow back and forth!

    • Anonymous

      As much as I, who like you am a Goofans (aka Apple Hater), would like to blame Apple for every problem around the world, I can’t. I believe patent lawsuits in the tec sector have been going on for awhile. Remember RIM? Good Tech’s parent?

  • Anonymous

    WHO THE HELL is OPENWAVE?

    • Anonymous

      Their the comany sueing apple & rim.
      Sorry apple if you live by the sword you die by it.

  • Applesucksfatties

    I bet their next claim will be that they are the ones that invented Post-It notes. 

  • Neoprimal

    This one may be valid. The company has history and I believe it just got acquired by another with ‘teeth’ which I think is why this has happened. Patent or not, as a small, floundering company you don’t want to go up against the Giants of/in the industry.

    I believe in technological innovation being protected and the companies behind new solutions rewarded for their effort and work BUT…oy. Some, most of these patents are just sooooo vague. When the patent system ends up stifling competition and halting forward momentum, I think it’s time to look at it again. 

    Patent trolls would be less likely to troll if the possible outcome of being victorious didn’t involve money. Competition trolls would be less likely to be sue happy if the possible outcome of being victorious didn’t involve barring another company’s product from being sold. I think somehow the ‘punishment’ of “infringing” patents should be altered to allow for the protection of valid holders but without the ability for there to be rampant abuse by said holders. 

    Otherwise, this is going to just keep happening – not speaking regarding openwave here because I think their complaint is founded – more in terms of all the trolls coming out of the woodwork and companies with their figurative heads growing huge and suing others due to the similarity of their device and icon shapes.

  • Anonymous

    Wat wat , i cant believe this!! me and my sister just got two i-pads for $42.77
    each and a $50 amazon card for $9. the stores want to keep this a secret
    and they dont tell you. go here, http://bidsbug.com

    • Applesucksfatties

       Your sister and you just got it on in the back of a ’76 pinto?  I can’t believe this!!!  Wat Wat

  • http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/1111 Eric at Ebscer

    On the Apple side they are suing over all iOS devices, but on the BlackBerry side they are only suing over the Curve and the PlayBook. Why?

    Not that the suit looks to have any merit to it anyhow…

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