NTP Sues Google, HTC, Motorola, LG, Apple, and Microsoft Over E-Mail Patents
There are two camps in the tech industry: those that take existing technologies, infuse new ideas into them, and create meaningful and useful products, and those that file patents, do nothing, wait for other companies to develop meaningful and innovative products, then sue them for their piece of the pie. NTP falls under the second category, having already walked away with a hefty $612 million settlement from a dispute filed with RIM. With the added weight of that settlement, NTP is using the same patents to strike out even harder against several more mobile tech giants, including Google, HTC, Motorola, and LG. All of these companies are linked to Android in some way, though the non-Android big boys Apple and Microsoft were named as well.
If this suit is anything like the RIM one, it won’t be quick, painless, or easy. NTP and RIM had at the legal wrangling for five years before bags of money were dropped at their feet. However, the strength and number of companies being sued may work in advantage of the manufacturers and software developers being accused of patent thievery.
[via Engadget]