Aidan MalleyA Delaware firm named AutoText Technologies claims that Apple and virtually all of the US electronics industry is infringing on a patent for the concept of a computer-based transcription device.
Accordingly, the company names a full 23 firms, most of which are some of the largest players in the American electronics business. Apple is named for reportedly violating the patent by producing Mac OS X Tiger, the Safari web browser, and related products. The Mac maker is not singled out from the rest of the group, however.
Besides Apple, the complaint names rival computer makers HP and IBM. Nearly all companies involved in the US cellular industry are also named, such as handset producers HTC, Motorola and Palm, Microsoft and its Windows Mobile 6 operating system, and carriers like AT&T, Helio, and Verizon.
Even console manufacturers Nintendo and Sony are at fault for their Wii and PlayStation 3 systems, the lawsuit purports.
As handled by the law firm Garson & Associates, the suit demands a jury trial and a minimum of a royalty from each company found at fault, with damages also requested as additional compensation.
AppleInsider Staff
Malcolm Owen
Oliver Haslam
Andrew O'Hara
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
22 Comments
I used a word-processor that had partial-word completion and auto-prioritisation back in '88 '89, so there's definite prior art to this patent. I've probably even got the 5.25" floppy with the shareware on it stashed away somewhere. Was made by Black Magic Software I think.
Let me guess, this was filed in Texas.
Why would HP be named since they just make the hardware for either Windows or Linux?
I'm sick and tired of reading about all of these stupid lawsuits by one unknown company against every large company in the world. It's really getting ridiculous. Appleinsider says that the suit is against Tiger and Apple products.. So OS 7-10.3 and 10.5 aren't included?? Seriously, come the F* on. Personally, If I was the judge, with how many people they are suing, I would throw the case out and tell them "Nice Try" because it has taken this company how long to finally realize that something that they *might* have a patent to might be infringed upon? I'd look at the patent as, If it was so important to you and your company, you would have filed a long time ago when you discovered it. You didn't just happen to accidently stumble upon this and realize that a patent might be infringed upon. These technologies have been known about for years and if t took you that long to realize it, too bad.
I would equate most of these suits to the Southwestern Bell phone company lawsuit, where it was discovered that the blue bell that the company used as their logo wasn't patented. So this guy went out, patented the logo, then sued Southwestern Bell for patent infringement, AND WON? How?
A lot of these suits are crap and unfair, and if judges rule in favor of people like this, it will be a sad day. Everyone will patent everything. You will have Joe Blow patent the ability to pass gas and every time you do, you owe him a nickel... Come on...
... for the concept of a computer-based transcription device.
My father, in the early '70 had some IBM type writing machines that were doing the same thing.
Some time later it was christianized as "Type-ahead functionality".
On late '80 there was (and still it is) a DB Application called "ProVue Panorama" able to do better the same thing.
/Gio
Note about my new patent: with a fee of 1ç each person, I'll collect about 10mio in US, Canada and Mexico! A great deal!
It's been like 6 hours since a suit like this has been filed.
I was beginning to get worried that the world may be coming to an end.