BMG settles with SightSound (Acacia related)
 

read here: http://www.fightthepatent.com/v2/Highlander.html

post here.



Fight the Paradox!

Patently absurd.

Fight the Idiocy!

Its starting to look like the only way to get around this is to get the patents overturned.

for those link challenged, here is one notable point of the article:

Porn websites that are member based (ie. monthly membership fee) could technically fall within this patent [SightSound]. Video-on-Demand sites that offer pay-per-minute or video downloads (ie. CinemaNow.com, MovieLink.com, etc) could find themselves faced with paying licenses to two or more patent holders.



Fight the Excerpts!

The problem is if companies settle instead of fighting, it sets an informal precedent to the next targets that the patent must have validity.

BMG is a huge company with a ton of finances that it could fight the patent if it were joined by other companies, to share the burden, rather than fight alone.

The current defendants against Acacia are a perfect example of how companies can band together and share resources to take on what is wrong.

Individually, business can get rolled over by the financial expense projections of fighting a patent claim.

Viva la Defendants.


Fight the Disunity!

i dont like such news

I thought you quit?

good thing you didn't...keep up the good work.

Just the full time effort that went on behind the scenes from the postings and articles that people see me do.

I have not given up tracking these patent abuse cases, and I hope with posts and articles by me, that businesses will see the need to stand together to fight, or individually fall and pay licensing to what is absurd.

Webmasters need to be informed about these patent issues that affect their business.. and for that, I will never quit.



Fight the Not Dead Yet!

All I can say is UGH!

Miami Herald article covering the story:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...al/8028892.htm



Fight the Deco!

Article on Hoovers:
http://www.hoovers.com/free/news/det...0007d2 dc663a

"SightSound prexy and co-founder Scott Sander said Monday that the company has already been approached by several parties interested in acquiring the patent portfolio.

"We realize that someone bigger than us might have to have these patents for the industry to really move ahead," Sander said. "We hope that with our success today the industry has entered a new era of respect for intellectual property, both copyrights and patent rights."






Fight the Portfolio!

these patentpeople are going crazy

"We realize that someone bigger than us might have to have these patents for the industry to really move ahead," Sander said.



"industry to really move ahead" ... huh? what industry?


Maybe he meant the industry of licensing patents and suing people for infringements. (if only that joke were funny)

I touched upon this subject in my article: Mo Patents, Mo Money: Making money by licensing patents at http://www.fightthepatent.com/v2/MakingMoney.html



Fight the Digging up of old Articles!

Two groups of people i've had it with:

1) PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING THE JANET JACKSON NIPPLE SLIP TO COURT

2)PATENT PEOPLE

do you hit any mainstream boards with this info brandon?

I post regularly on the ACTG yahoo board.. the cheerleaders and the pumpers don't particularly like me. :Graucho

I get alot of Fortune 100 and large media companies hitting my website.

There was a large spike in the search for keyword "sightsound" in checking my logs...and FTP ranks 3rd in the results.. the first 2 google results are for SightSound.com

:)



Fight the PR!

if there is one time i agree that a mailing should be sent out in mass quantities, it's times like this with the info you provide.

But what would it say? What would the action item be?

To take a line from GI Joe, "knowing is half the battle".

The other half is "doing".. and by all accounts, both the adult biz and mainstream aren't interested in "doing" anything unless they are directly sued.

There is clearly a need for a proposal like Fight The Patent Foundation (http://www.fightthepatent.com/v2/FTPF.html) that seeks to inspire people to come forward with prior art, to inspire expert witnesses to come forward to testify, and to assist any company seeking to stand against a patent abuse case with the grassroots support and evidence to help knock the patent claims.

In addition, patents can be directly challenged at the USPTO. Found prior art along with a patent attorney to write up the petition, could help to stop bad patents at the source, rather than waste businesses millions of dollars each year on litigation.


The grassroots approach to finding prior art is at a low cost. Couple thousand dollars worth of prizes and a website can be created to reward people who submit prior art.

Additional money is needed to hire patent attorneys (or have some that will volunteer) to evaluate that targeted patent cases and evaluate the prior art submissions.

Even more money is needed to retain a patent law firm to petition directly with the USPTO.

Unless more companies get targeted for patent infringement by Acacia, SightSound, or USA Video, I am afraid the movement to fight against patent abuse will be stuck head first in the ground.


Fight the Sand in the ears!

Info about SightSound at:
http://www.fightthepatent.com/v2/SightSound.html


The abstract from their first patent:

The present invention is a method for transmitting a desired digital video or audio signal stored on a first memory of a first party to a second memory of a second party. The method comprises the steps of transferring money via a telecommunications line to the first party from the second party. Additionally, the method comprises the step of then connecting electronically via a telecommunications line the first memory with the second memory such that the desired signal can pass therebetween. Next, there is the step of transmitting the desired digital signal from the first memory with a transmitter in control and in possession of the first party to a receiver having the second memory at a location determined by the second party. The receiver is in possession and in control of the second party. There is also the step of then storing the digital signal in the second memory.




This patent can be claimed to cover paysites that have video and video on demand websites.

If someone pays money to watch a video, that's what this SightSoud patent covers.

Companies like AEBN, Video Secrets, Hustler, Playboy, etc.... may have to deal with SightSound... and don't forget USA Video who's patent claims is the downloading of video faster than real time from a server (pay or free).





Fight the Triple Taxing!

from an Mlive.com article (http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/busin...lash-financial):


"We changed the way consumers access entertainment, and our patents gave us the power to change the business practices of an entire industry," said Scott Sander, president of SightSound.



oh really?



Fight the wuh???

AVN wrote an article:
http://www.avnonline.com/issues/2004...022504_1.shtml



Fight the Bump!

If you signed to one keep your pocket book open cause more will be comming for you!:1orglaugh :1orglaugh

And when the patent is failed you will still be paying!:1orglaugh :1orglaugh

SightSound Technologies Inc's patent has just been validated by 6 years of litigation with major corporation and a 3.3 million dollar settlement. No one is beating this patent, all you can hope for here is for you to be too small for them to waste their time with. :2 cents:

I wouldn't characterize the BMG settlement as validating the patent. There was not a court verdict.. BMG agreed that it was valid to them agreeing to a settlement and ending the litigation.

BMG thought they had some prior art from Japan, but i guess it turns out it wasn't enough.

In talking to various patent attorneys, they have agreed with my generalization that their patent searches don't always turn up the prior art. Prior art for many patents on technologies exists on dusty shelves and dusty servers and needs awareness and needs a reason to come forward.




Fight the Sneezing!

That's for sure. If people signed up for every patent claim that could be net related only a few sites in the world could cover the cost.