TheZomb

June 10, 2011 at 7:33pm

Its much more likely that they didn't and i4i waited 2 years until they could sue for millions to tell them. Thats usually how these patent cases work. The plaintiff realizes someone is using their intellectual property and waits until they generate value with it and then comes the lawsuit. Sadly this activity isn't illegal. The patent system is designed to promote creativity and innovation, but it is seriously stifling the tech industry. Everytime a company wants to create a product it has to vetted incessantly probably still contains some random persons IP. Since the patent system in the US has allowed the patenting of the simplest most inane procedures a computer can do, companies are extremely apprehensive about creating any product that is one pixel or half a procedure close to someones years old IP they no longer use.

How is allowing a company to sit on intellectual property and not use it, "Fostering innovation" as per the design of the patent system.  The current patent system allows tiny coporations to do nothing but gather patents, patent things they never use, or patent the simplest procedure required by so many applications and stifle the entire industry with law suits. Its rare when the big guys are in the right, but if companies like i4i are allowed to continue this activity it will extremely hurt the interests of all members of the tech community even the little developers.