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GEN-ERIC Patent News Tuesday, September 14,
2004
================================================== Use Quick Links
to Access any Area of Interest Headlines News Patents of the Day Access Official Gazette and
Notices Patents Available for Licensing Patent Related
Opportunities
Printer Friendly Version ================================================== 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 ================================================== 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." Index 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. Index 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 ================================================== 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.
Index ================================================== ACCESS OFFICIAL GAZETTE AND
NOTICES Access this week's Official
Gazette http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week37/OG/index2.htm
Excerpt
from OG Notices
Legal Framework for Use of Electronic Filing System
USPTO Simplifies System
Index ================================================== PATENTS AVAILABLE FOR
LICENSING
to Learn More or to List a Patent
Plug-and-play smart data
cable The invention includes a smart, plug-and-play cable capable of
transparently translating between two different communication protocols. The
cables are "plug-and-play" such that two devices can be coupled together for
communication without the requirement that the user perform any special set-up
steps in order for it to work. To implement this plug-and-play functionality,
the smart cable of the present invention determines which communication
protocols are required at each of its ports, and selects, activates, enables, or
downloads the appropriate communication protocol drivers to enable proper
operation.
Electric shaver having orbitally moving blades An
electric shaver includes blades which while rotating around their own centers
also orbit around another axis, thus providing that the blades sweep a large
area.
Implantable fuel cell This invention makes use of an
electrostrictive material to increase the efficiency of a fuel cell as used
for the production of power within a human.
Index ================================================== EMPLOYMENT
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