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[centracore]

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission said it would launch an investigation into some 30 companies including Sony Corp (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) on possible patent infringements related to Blu-ray disc players and other products.

The commission said on its Web site on Thursday that the products involved are short-wavelength light-emitting diodes and laser diodes used in such electronics as handheld mobile devices, traffic lights and high-definition DVD players.

The move is based on a complaint filed in February by Columbia University Professor Emeritus Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, who is seeking to block imports into the United States of a range of products that she said were infringing her patent.

Besides Sony, companies cited in the ITC announcement include Nokia (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research), Motorola Inc (MOT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), LG Electronics Inc (066570.KS: Quote, Profile, Research), and Panasonic maker Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd (6752.T: Quote, Profile, Research).

A Sony spokesman said the consumer electronics maker could not as the investigation is ongoing.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka)

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUST32692520080321

I doubt anything will actually come of this, but who knows...

 

[LowParry]

Sony gets and Anal Probe?

 

[Evander]

Did she patent light?

Huh?

 

[Christine]

Fucking broken US patent system.

 

[captive]

Did she patent light?

:lol

Actually i think Gene Simmons holds that patent.

 

[FlyinJ]

I wish the U.S. trade body would probe me for a change.

 

[kswiston]

Did she patent light?

Huh?

I just applied for a patent on the process of breathing air, so you better enjoy those breaths while they're still royalty free!

 

[border]

Moderators to move topic to appropriate Forum

 

[Evander]

I just applied for a patent on the process of breathing air, so you better enjoy those breaths while they're still royalty free!

Oh yeah?

Well I just patented patents!

 

[beat]

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206904888

The complaint with the ITC says Dr. Rothschild made a "seminal breakthrough" in the production of the blue and ultraviolet LEDs, and that she deserves both scientific as well as commercial recognition for the work.

Professor Rothschild, who is the sole owner of the patent, is currently Howe Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Columbia.

She conducted ground-breaking research in the 1980s and 1990s into the electrical and optical properties of so-called wide band-gap semiconductors. This research has proven pivotal in the development of short-wavelength emitting (blue and violet) diodes that are now widely used in consumer electronics.

She was issued a U.S. patent in 1993 that covers a method of producing wide band-gap semiconductors for LEDs and LDs in the blue/ultraviolet end of the spectrum.

The portion of her work at issue in the ITC case focuses on using gallium nitride-based semiconductor material in LEDs and laser diodes. Currently, gallium nitride material provides the only efficient commercial blue light emitters.

 

[OldJadedGamer]

I doubt anything will actually come of this, but who knows...

I seem to remember the same being said about the Immersion lawsuit.

 

[dTau]

I seem to remember the same being said about the Immersion lawsuit.

you hate sony we get it

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

Fucking broken US patent system.

How do you get that the system is broken from this? If she legitimately invented the shit, she deserves credit and compensation.

 

[WickedAngel]

How do you get that the system is broken from this? If she legitimately invented the shit, she deserves credit and compensation.

These kinds of probes should come before companies invest billions into manufacturing and distributing products. I doubt the BluRay consortium just jumped into their product lines without acquiring patents which means that someone fucked up and issued patents for relatively similar technologies.

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

These kinds of probes should come before companies invest billions into manufacturing and distributing products. I doubt the BluRay consortium just jumped into their product lines without acquiring patents which means that someone fucked up and issued patents for relatively similar technologies.

So the U.S. patent office is suppose to somehow keep tabs on every product in development and cross reference it with other every patent? And of course, no one as ever developed a product without infringing on someone else's patents. Nope. Not ever.

 

[Branduil]

These kinds of probes should come before companies invest billions into manufacturing and distributing products. I doubt the BluRay consortium just jumped into their product lines without acquiring patents which means that someone fucked up and issued patents for relatively similar technologies.

They don't come before because there isn't enough money to gain from lawsuits at that point.

 

[beerbelly]

She just had to wait until blu-ray won to get more money out of this.

 

[OldJadedGamer]

you hate sony we get it

Settle down there Junior. Have some coffee and relax.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

Is she hard up? Maybe Kaz could give some lovin in payment. What do you think Kaz?

oh nvm.


This does suck for Sony if true since bluray is taking off.

 

[NextGenitals]

This does suck for Sony if true since bluray is taking off.

It'll end up like all the other lawsuits (except Immersion's I guess :lol ).

That is to say: it won't go anywhere.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

It'll end up like all the other lawsuits (except Immersion's I guess :lol ).

That is to say: it won't go anywhere.

Is the Immersion one about the use of cell or is that something else?

 

[Gattsu25]

Is the Immersion one about the use of cell or is that something else?

vibration in controllers

the reason why the sixaxis had no rumble

 

[Choke on the Magic]

vibration in controllers

the reason why the sixaxis had no rumble

Oh yeah I remember that. Wasn't there a guy/company who wanted to sue Sony for cell too though. I know there was a thread on it some time ago.

 

[Duke Togo]

Pfffft, somebody is just bitter that they dropped a grand on an HD-DVD setup.

 

[Gattsu25]

Oh yeah I remember that. Wasn't there a guy/company who wanted to sue Sony for cell too though. I know there was a thread on it some time ago.

Wouldn't doubt it.

I mean; if you see synchronous processors getting designed; it's not too far of a stretch to assume that somewhere, someday, someone will design an asynchronous processor.

That said, I do not see the woman in the article as solely trying to leech off of a success, especially given her history with laying the groundwork for the technology. Not saying money isn't a motivating factor, on the other hand :b

 

[AlphaSnake]

They'll settle and give her $40M.

 

[SUPREME1]

..AND HD DVD GETS UP FROM THE CANVAS AT THE 9 COUNT!!!! OH MY GAWD!!!

HD DVD RALLIES, OH MY!!!!

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!


OH, HD DVD KNOCKS OUT BLURAY WITH A HEYMAKER!!! WOOT!!!!


UPSET!!!!


UPSET!!!!!!!


:\

 

[Choke on the Magic]

..AND HD DVD GETS UP FROM THE CANVAS AT THE 9 COUNT!!!! OH MY GAWD!!!

HD DVD RALLIES, OH MY!!!!

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!!!


OH, HD DVD KNOCKS OUT BLURAY WITH A HEYMAKER!!! WOOT!!!!


UPSET!!!!


UPSET!!!!!!!


:\

Oh....He must have forgotten.

 

[Gattsu25]

Oh....He must have forgotten.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x217/jmbo1981/21jc7pf.gif

:lol I love how the kid goes in for the headstab at the end.

 

[Kowak]

American lies and propaganda.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

:lol I love how the kid goes in for the headstab at the end.

:lol You have to finish the job.

 

[Dark Octave]

Why do I keep reading this thread as "U.S. trade booty to probe Sony".

 

[Nicodimas]

Hopefully this move will help hd-dvd push past Blu....

 

[Tyrannical]

Looks like she already one legal victory back in 2006, and she filed in 2005. She had probably been trying to deal with Sony the last few years.

http://www.compoundsemi.com/documents/articles/cldoc/7121.html

Sidley Austin LLP announced today that the firm represented Professor Gertrude Neumark Rothschild in her settlement of claims of patent infringement against Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd., and Toyoda Gosei North America Corporation. On July 27, 2005, Professor Neumark filed suit in the Southern District of New York alleging that Toyoda Gosei had infringed U.S. Patent No. 4,904,618, "Process for Doping Crystals of Wide Band Gap Semiconductors," and U.S. Patent No. 5,252,499, "Wide Band-Gap Semiconductors Having Low Bipolar Resistivity and Method of Formation" through the unauthorized manufacture, importation, use, sale and/or offer for sale of light emitting diodes ("LEDs") and laser diode created using the processes described and claimed in each of these patents. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Professor Neumark has granted rights under both of the Neumark patents to Toyoda Gosei.