Jpeg Patent Threatens Companies

[senocular]

There is a looming image compression patent (4,698,672 (http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?DB=EPODOC&IDX=US4698672))that concerns JPEG compression which is nearing its end (october 2004). This has seemingly brought about 31 lawsuits file by its holder, Compression Labs. The alleged include: Adobe, Agfa, Apple, Axis Communications Incorporated, Canon USA, Concord Camera Corporation, Creative Labs, Dell, Eastman Kodak, Fuji, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, JASC Software, JVC Americas Corporation, Kyocera Wireless Corporation, Macromedia, Matsu****a Electric Corporation of America, Oce North America Incorporated, Onkyo Corporation, PalmOne, Panasonic Communications, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Ricoh, Riverdeep, Savin, Thomson, Toshiba and Xerox.

Check out the latest stories:
http://news.google.com/news?q=JPEG+patent&btnG=Search+News

[GreenLantern]

compression labs will have quite a fight on it's hands

No doubt there. This is the David vs. Goliath of the new millenium.

[Lost]

Oh my god. lol





The goal is to exploit a loop hole in patent law where validity of patent is counted from the date when it was granted, and not from date where it was applied for. So, if you've got a patent application, and you know that no competitor is even close to being able to commercially exploit it, you (the application) just slow down the approval process as best as you can (by filing papers as late as possible, by introducing trivial amendments which forces the patent office to restart the procedure from the beginning, etc.). You keep on stalling like this until you see that a competitor is almost ready to infringe: you then let the application proceed at normal speed, and enjoy 25 years of monopoly from that date on.

[DDD]

Jebus.....how sneaky..

[mdipi]

http://wired.com/news/business/0,1367,63200,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1


Forgent Networks said Friday it sued 31 major hardware and software vendors, including Dell and Apple Computers, for allegedly infringing on its claim to an algorithm used in the popular JPEG picture file format.

Adobe and Macromedia are also in this whole mess over the popular file format.

This just shows where the computing world is going due to pattents :-/
-Mike

[chunk]

....

does this mean that the price of macromedia products will go up?

if it does... **** that will leave a bigger whole in my wallet, thank god maya 6 dont use JPEG...

sue IBM, apple and the rest are goooooood...



[edit]

sorry for swearing and being out of oder in the past, (sorry kirupa and kirupans) but dont worry the four letter word above DOES begin with a D

...

KIRUPA: It would be preferred if you didn't have to swear in the first place. Makes your posts more intelligent ;)

[Voetsjoeba]

I've read about this. The JPEG group is now looking for JPG files from times before the Forgent patent.

I've also heard about British Telecom who would have a patent on the hyperlink (yes, the hyperlink). They wanted to make portal sites pay for every click users give. Luckily, the court judged them wrong. Whew !

[chunk]

I've also heard about British Telecom who would have a patent on the hyperlink (yes, the hyperlink). They wanted to make portal sites pay for every click users give. Luckily, the court judged them wrong. Whew !

omg ! lol ! lol ! lol ! lol !

lucky our sites would be done in flash.. mwahahhahahahaha

and BT want .gif files aswell

[chunk]

^ that gave me a thought... they would proberly out a paper wieght in the enter key send it a site and watch the money roll in...


sounds like a good idea to me :D

[Jeff Wheeler]

what do you mean?

[senocular]

merged

[mdipi]

Whoops sen didnt see your post, thanks for the merge :D