Posted by ipeg on January 11th, 2010
MAybe it is time for some intellectual reflection on the current stage of patent litigation in Europe. Those reflections come from a idiot savant, as we are out of patent litigation in Europe for some time now and much what is being brought up may also have to do with being out of the litigation loop and hence may have colored our view on what’s going on in Europe at this time. For years patent litigation in Europe was seen by many as convoluted, cumbersome and fragmentized. Rightfully so. The patent practitioners, in response, brought...
Posted by ipeg on September 8th, 2006
Sisvel, Europe’s most notorious patent troll, is known for its unscrupulous way of using (many feel: misusing) the criminal system in Italy, where they convinced Italian public prosecutors – not particularly known for their penchant for patent law – to use the criminal system in an unprecedented way, to enforce its patents it licensed from Philips c.s. against alleged infringers.
The practice has driven many companies in (involuntary) license deals by making their lives miserable and forcing business people to take licenses...
Posted by ipeg on November 23rd, 2005
An interesting development in the US courts. Audio MPEG (Sisvel’s US affiliate) sued Creative Labs earlier this year, over the same patents we’ve been threatened with. Last week, the District Court found that Audio MPEG lacked standing by itself to sue, i.e. the patent owners are “essential parties” to the suit.
Therefore, unless Philips, France Telecom, IRT, and Telediffusion de France are added to the case as plaintiffs within 15 days (of Nov. 18), the case will be dismissed.
The reason for this holding is that the...
