RFID Patent Wars are Pending
Filed in archive Implementation on September 6, 2006
The bad news is that Wal-Mart, Gillette, Michelin, Home Depot, Target and Pfizer are all being sued for RFID patent infringement.
The good news is that the lawsuit signals how far we have come with RFID. You know a technology is starting to gain wider acceptance, when the lawsuits start. People do not file lawsuits unless there is something worth fighting over.
Of course some will take this lawsuit as yet another sign that the U.S. Patent office is out of control, issuing overly broad patents right and left like the easter bunny handing out chocolate eggs.
Tech companies have complained about patent trolls in recent years. Patent troll is a term referring to a company that secures patents for the main purpose of filing lawsuits. With the cost of defending a patent lawsuit averaging $2 million, a lot of companies faced with a patent infringement suit just cave in -- and settle. In turn that just encourages more patent trolls. It has become quite the cottage industry.
I do not know if that is the situation here, but the descriptions of the patent in question certainly sound very broad.
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Tags: rfid patent september wireless voip rfid+patent wars+pending patent+wars
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Response from:
Chris Kapsambelis
(09/07/06 4:34am)
Response from:
Anita Campbell
(09/09/06 8:04am)
Hi Chris,
Yes, it's astonishing that the USPTO could issue a patent on the use of RFID for inventory control in this day and age. I guess they don't keep up with current events over there.
The U.S. patent system has been a key driver behind the United States' technological innovation leadership. But that system is threatened when the safeguards start to break down and the whole structure gets hijacked.
- Anita
Yes, it's astonishing that the USPTO could issue a patent on the use of RFID for inventory control in this day and age. I guess they don't keep up with current events over there.
The U.S. patent system has been a key driver behind the United States' technological innovation leadership. But that system is threatened when the safeguards start to break down and the whole structure gets hijacked.
- Anita
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How anybody can be granted a patent on the use of RFID for inventory control in 2005 boggles the mind. The U.S. Patent office is a useless institution.