Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Re: Article on RIM Patent Claimings

From: "Juliet" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 16:24:26 -0000

One question which comes along with new technologies, like flat panel 
technology, input technologies, like special pens or mobile devices, 
software plugins or ... is: 
* what is patented, 
* what is worth patenting due to long achievement times of getting 
patents at all declarated as such ones
* which patents are broadband visions for future technologies
* sub- patents or patent updates due to updates of systems and 
concepts
* who gets the patent right of a new enhancement or overall re- 
conceptualization of e.g. of middleware concepts
* if an organization/ companyhad already waited about 2 years of 
achievements and waiting on getting patent permission done, while 
updating the R& D in this section further, the new patent might be in 
several cases overridden by new ideas and concepts anyway in terms of 
very new technology markets
* -> the spirital value of patents in nowaday time and technologies 
(e.g. wireless ones) ?
* ...
As RIM is said to be very keen on his patents actually, how many of 
the had been developed and declared by them in the last years...

:) Juliet

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From: Rick Parrish <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 22:52:29 -0600

I take the easy ones ...

>software plugins or ... is: 
I do not know the exact rules as to what can and cannot be patented.

>patents at all declarated as such ones
Okay - stop! You said "one question which comes ...". Sorry, that's the 
limit. (Just kidding).

>* which patents are broadband visions for future technologies
Sometimes these are bad patents - too overly vague and broad to be 
useful. Sometimes there are patents involving technology that does not 
yet exist (like Heddy Lamar's spread-spectrum patent conceived in the 
1940s).

>* sub- patents or patent updates due to updates of systems and 
This is actually an area that makes patents very ugly. A competitor can 
respond to a patent by filing what I call "decorator patents". These are 
slight refinements of a patent applying it to a specific area. In other 
words, to effectively use your patent a company would also have to 
license one or more other "decorative" patents. This increases the 
number of negotiating parties and decreases the value of patents overall.

>conceptualization of e.g. of middleware concepts
That would be the person or company that filed the patent. In some 
cases, the patent is sold or the company that owns the patent is bought 
by another company.

>very new technology markets
Having filed the patent ("patent pending") would certainly put the 
company in a better position than not filing at all.

>* -> the spirital value of patents in nowaday time and technologies 
Patents have a negative spritual value IMHO.

>the had been developed and declared by them in the last years...
You can search patents online. I think IBM's patent server has moved. 
Here is the new link.

http://www.delphion.com/

Also for US patents - look here ...

http://www.uspto.gov/

And for the record, *patents are evil*.

>:) Juliet
Regards,
Rick