DRAM patent holder sues Big Blue

Canadian embedded DRAM patent-holder Mosaid is suing IBM for patent infringement. Mosaid, founded in 1975 and based in Ottawa, calls itself one of the world’s leading intellectual property companies, and licenses patented IP in the areas of semiconductors, wired and wireless communications systems. It counts many of the world' …

[Anonymous Coward]

Beware the troll under the bridge

So let me get this right, on one hand we have IBM, mega tech global behemouth; winner of god knows how many awards for innovation; owner of a patent portfolio that must look like a good chunk of the Library of Congress; and with a budget that would embarass a small country.

And other the hand we have this backwoods outfit, who's sole revenue stream comes from throwing writs around. Heck, even their own website says that their product is merely "IP" rather than actual stub-your-toe-on-it real products. This shouts "patent troll" in 10 ft high neon letters!

I hope that IBM (unlike Hynix, Micro, Samsung et al) manage to deal them a good dose of the "SCO treatment" - i.e. replied; reveilled; and then ruined. :p

[David Lester]

on-chip DRAM patent?

Remind me: wasn't I using Intel chips in the 1970s with these features?

How long does a patent last in the good ole US of A?

[TeeCee]

Re: on-chip DRAM patent?

You probably were, but this'll be one of those "ah, but if you do it *this* way" patents.

The lawsuit will be one of those: "You are doing it this way, aren't you?"

"No"

"Oh yes you are"

"Oh no we're not"

"Oooooh yes you are"

"Oooooooooooooooh no we're not"

......pantomime ones that all revolves around whose lawyers are better at confusing a judge with technical detail and where the subsequent appeal revolves around a tortuous definition of the word "innovative".

[Jan 7]

IBM budget

Actually, IBM revenue is twice as large as the GNP of Luxembourg, so better strike the "small". They are larger than most of Africa combined (well, at least if you leave out S.Africa and Egypt).

[Paul Smith]

Swine

Wouldn't it be sad if there was a severe outbreak of swine flu in that court room and all those poor patent lawyers died horribly.

[Steven Hunter]

If you ask me

If you as me, being "...one of the world’s leading intellectual property companies..." seems a bit like being one the worlds foremost puppy strangling companies if you ask me. Not something of which you should really be all that proud.

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope IBM loses...

Maybe it'll teach them a lesson that patents are evil in the first place.

And James, why are they sharing their research so publicly? Unless it wasn't all that innovative, in which case the one who can bring the product to life should in fact reap the rewards... If your idea is super secret though, keep it to yourself and make people sign non-disclosure forms.

[Steve Browne]

Hope they have large pockets

I would have thought they would have learnt from SCO that to tackle IBM is a major and expensive project.

I would also be wary of tackling IBM on patents, as they have more than anyone else, not to mention prior art from their research labs. Though, IBM does tend to use it's patent portfolio to cross license technology rather than monetary gain.

This one could run and run ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Shameful for Canucks.

As a Canadian, I am embarressed. The company is a total Patent Troll.

[TEQ]

@ Paul Smith re. Swine

It'd only be sad if the courtroom was only half-full.

[Rex Alfie Lee]

In IBM's Defense

IBM makes most of its money from hardware & I doubt they could care less about these Canadian trolls, as a prior Canadian mentioned earlier in his embarrassment. Furthermore IBM does give out freely to the OSS & in large terms. That makes them good. Their ownership of patent farmery seems to be more of a protection of themselves than that of going after others. That makes them good-er, ok better. This doesn't mean that IBM won't turn & suddenly sue the whole world but it just doesn't seem to be their focus....yet. That makes them potentially bad.

Compared with M$, IBM are gentlemen or ladies of virtue rather than muck-raking pools of sputum. I would wonder if this other group is merely a subsidiary of M$. It wouldn't surprise me. M$ has done it so many times before & IBM does support OSS which M$ doesn't like. Yes, I know M$ are now suddenly the good guys, emerging from their soulless pit of excrement to support OSS. Bull-scheisse! (I'll believe it when the pig flew)

I think in 1972 IBM's GDP was 20 times that of Australia's.