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GEN-ERIC Patent News
Tuesday, September 14, 2004

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HEADLINES (patents issued a few hours ago..)
The People's Choice Patent of the Day goes to an
Independent Inventor from Los Angeles for a
Method for the sale of movies prior to the production thereof

The Way Cool Patent of the Day goes to
Golden Bridge Electech Inc. of Taiwan for a
Cell phone charging circuit of USB interface
    Index
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NEWS
P2P company sues RIAA over patent
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5357332.html
Altnet, a company that sells music and other digital goods through file-swapping services, sued the Recording Industry Association of America on Wednesday for alleged patent infringement. The company, a subsidiary of Brilliant Digital Entertainment, contends that the RIAA has been infringing on one of its patents in the course of copyright enforcement efforts inside peer-to-peer networks. Overpeer, a copyright company owned by Loudeye, and MediaDefender, also are named in the lawsuit. "We've exhausted every means of trying to work with these defendants and those they represent to patiently encourage and positively develop the P2P distribution channel," said Altnet Chief Executive Officer Kevin Bermeister in a statement. "We cannot stand by and allow them to erode our business opportunity by the wholesale infringement of our rights."
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Suit accuses MLB of online patent infringement
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5359918.html
An intellectual-property holding company is suing Major League Baseball for what it considers patent infringement on its real-time sports technology. The holding company, DDB Technologies of Austin, Texas, filed the lawsuit last Friday against MLB Advanced Media, the league's interactive division. The suit alleges that MLB.com used technology covered by many of DDB's patents. Features allegedly infringing on DDB's patents include its Gameday simulations of live baseball games, its condensed video highlights, its searchable video highlights and its live fantasy baseball stat tracker. A DDB spokesman said the lawsuit stemmed from failed talks to secure a license from MLB.
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Jury set for Kodak-Sun patent case
http://www.rbj.net/fullarticle.cfm?sdid=51711
Proceedings in the opening day of the $1 billion Eastman Kodak Co.-Sun Microsystems Inc. patent infringement case concluded Monday with the impaneling of an eight-member jury. The start of the trial comes some two years after Kodak sued Sun, claiming that Sun’s widely used Java technology infringes on three software patents Kodak acquired from Wang Laboratories. U.S. District Judge Michael Telesca excused jurors after reading preliminary instructions and ordering them to return to the Rochester courtroom to hear attorneys’ opening statements at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Telesca said the trial would be split into two phases—a liability phase followed by a second phase to determine damages should Sun be found liable.
    Index
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PATENTS OF THE DAY

6,792,411

Method for the sale of movies prior to the production thereof

Abstract: A method for funding the production of a movie by presenting a storyboard synopsis of the yet-to-be-produced movie on a production company's Internet Web site, and allowing interested potential viewers of the movie to purchase a share of the production company's stock prior to production of the movie. Accompanying the storyboard synopsis is an offer which includes an opportunity to participate in the making of the movie by `voting` for certain options related to the movie's production, as well as the opportunity to view the production of the movie via video transmission over the Internet. The purchase of a share of production company stock provides the shareholder the right to obtain a free copy of the completed movie as a dividend. The stock purchase is effected preferably by an electronics fund transfer, such as by the entering of a credit card number via the Web site. Production of the movie is not commenced until the number of shares of stock in the production company sold is sufficient to cover the estimated cost of making the movie.

Index

6,791,296

Cell phone charging circuit of USB interface

Background: Due to the continuous enhancement of performance, the portable computer (including notebook computer, flat-panel computer or palm computer) has gradually dominated over the desktop computer in the market. Meanwhile, cell phones also become so common that each person possess one or more than one cell phones. The portable computer can log on intenet via the cell phone. The space limitation is relieved, and the user can surf the internet everywhere. However, as the cell phones have a very small dimension; and consequently, the battery power is very limited. If the cell phones can be charged through the USB interface, the application can be broadened and become more popular.