Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
Summary: It's not even available yet, but the Kindle Fire is already a target in a patent suit. Let the patent games continue!
The week is getting started with another fresh patent infringement lawsuit, and this time the source is a product that hasn't even been released yet.
Amazon's highly anticipated Kindle Fire, which was unveiled last week and won't be available until November 15th, is being attacked by a suit from Smartphone Technologies LLC, which is owned by Acacia Research Corporation, a known patent collector of sorts.
There are at least four points (along with a fifth one regarding the new Kindle Touch 3G) at question in this case, including:
- A patent covering the act of tapping an icon on the tablet's touch-sensitive display to perform an action
- A patent intended for Palm over displaying and manipulating multiple calendars on a PDA
Even if the second one was designated for Palm, both of these functions sound like commonplace features on tablets -- and mobile devices in general -- at this point. However, this is how patent collectors make money: buy up the patents before everyone else can and then charge an absurd amount -- or just plain sue someone else.
These sorts of tactics seem to be catching fire lately, leading for many analysts to think we're in the middle of a patent bubble.
There is patent reform on the way as President Obama recently signed the America Invests Act into law, shifting from the first-to-invent system to the first-to-file route.
Such actions will probably please the likes of Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, who recently said at Dreamforce 2011 that he thought patents have been handed out too generally in the past and would like to see a more systematic approach to the approval process.
[via PaidContent]
Related:
- Mozilla bets on fundraising to diversify Google revenue
- Holiday prediction - The Kindle Fire will be a huge hit
- DC Comics superheroes in a flap over Amazon Kindle Fire deal
- Motorola sued by Google-funded company over Android patents
- Tennessee follows California with new Amazon tax deal
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Talkback
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
One click?
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
Amazon can't have it both ways. One-click is as trivial as icon-tapping and yet Amazon get millions in royalty for their one-click-patent.
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
I think I'll patent the idea of using text to convey meaning...
Hey, that's a rectangle. Someone call Legal.
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
In this case I have to agree with you.
rectangle
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
depends on how deep you go.
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
That wasn't sarcasm, was it? I think that was sarcasm. Someone call legal. Didn't we patent saying one thing in order to convey the opposite?
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
These aren't design patents. Maybe calling Microsoft's legal team would be better idea.
It has a power switch? Better call my lawyers
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
And people tell me patent lawsuits are mostly frivolous /sarcasm
A patent intended for Palm over displaying and manipulating multiple calendars on a PDA"
Multiple calenders on a PDA? Tapping an icon to get it to do something? These are things that somebody spent tens, nay hundreds, of hours on how to implement.
This sort of thing isn't obvious or anything. /sarcasm
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
Nope they all need human touch in any form like holding, touching, scribbling with pen that is touched by human hand with or without hand gear and other sorts of human touch like carrying, putting in a bag, folio, case, putting on a table or some sort of place holder for watching and enjoying content, using any sort of electricity to operate, which is patented by me. See my patent is very broad and more viable than yours. so all royalties should go to me. ;-)
But I have more lawyers
RE: Amazon already hit with patent suit over Kindle Fire
Patent law reform.