Archive for April 19th, 2006
Seeking to Burst Apple’s iPod Bubble
“Burst.com has filed a countersuit against Apple Computer claiming that the iTunes software, the iPod and the Quicktime streaming software all infringe on patents held by Burst.com, Burst announced Monday.
“After being approached by Burst.com in late 2004, Apple had filed for a declaratory judgment in January that it isn’t infringing on Burst’s patents, but Burst is going ahead with its lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco. Burst is asking for royalties as well as an injunction, it said in a press release.
“Burst has developed software that helps companies speed up the delivery of audio and video files over a network. The company was involved in a similar patent infringement dispute with Microsoft last year that ended with a $60 million settlement and a Microsoft license to the Burst technology.”
Tom Krazit. Burst.com Sues Apple for Patent Infringement. News.com. April 17, 2006.
See also:
Burst.com. Burst.com Files Patent Infringement Suit against Apple Computer; Announces Expansion of Legal Team. (Press release.) April 17, 2006.
Peter Burrows. Underdog Or Patent Troll? BusinessWeek Online. April 24, 2006.
CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Software on the Web Changes Business Dynamics
“For years, organizations of all sizes have suffered the hassles and unexpected costs that accompany deploying and maintaining a variety of traditional software applications that, ironically, were intended to make them more productive. Now a new breed of Web-based services are pushing legacy applications aside and finally giving users the business benefits they’ve been seeking.
“This new form of software-as-a-service, or SaaS, has been spearheaded by Salesforce.com’s customer relationship management and salesforce automation applications, and NetSuite’s “net-native” enterprise resource planning applications.
“These companies have recognized the inherent inefficiencies of the traditional software market, including the tremendous time, effort, and cost that organizations — especially large-scale midsize businesses — have to expend to install applications and keep them up and running.
“Despite the success of these companies, many people are still skeptical about the long-term success of SaaS. Others are concerned that recent Salesforce.com outages represent a fundamental fault line in the SaaS landscape.”
Jeffrey Kaplan. Software-as-a-Service Myths. BusinessWeek Online. April 17, 2006.
CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Web Becomes New First-Run Cinema Platform
“Smooth-talking film distributors nearly robbed Kelly Schwarze of his love for moviemaking, he says. The Hollywood system offered him too many broken promises and too little creative freedom. So he asked himself, “Why not try the Web?”
“Schwarze is among a growing number of filmmakers and animators who once concentrated on feature-length films but are now telling much shorter stories on the Web. Insiders say that a mass migration of storytelling talent could someday put the Internet in a position to compete with television and theaters for the public’s entertainment dollars.
“The Net’s appeal to moviemakers has its roots in the rise of broadband adoption, technology upgrades in Internet video and white-hot demand for online films and user-created clips.”
Greg Sandoval. Filmmakers Flock to the Net. News.com. April 13, 2006.
CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
Just When RIM Thought Its Blackberry Battle Ended …
“Hot on the heels of the settlement of a rancorous patent dispute, Research In Motion may have a new fight on its hands. Canada’s RIM this year plans to launch its iconic BlackBerry wireless e-mail device in China, where it will go toe-to-toe with China Unicom, the state-run telecommunications company.
“RIM, which in February agreed to pay a $612.5 million settlement with U.S. holding company NTP, has confirmed it’s on track to introduce the BlackBerry in China by the middle of the year. Not to be outdone, China Unicom has launched its own BlackBerry-like wireless e-mail service.
“And here’s where it gets weird. China Unicom’s service is not only patterned after the BlackBerry, but its name is inspired by the BlackBerry as well.”
Arik Hesseldahl. BlackBerry vs. Redberry in China. BusinessWeek Online. April 13, 2006.
CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.
COPYCENSE 