Yet another non-practicing entity (NPE) strikes again, claiming Apple's mobile devices violating a 16-year old AT&T patent. Wyncomm LLC is not only suing Apple, but also pretty much every company that develops Wi-Fi compliant devices, including Acer, Hewlett-Packard, LG, etc. It seems that Wyncomm's target in the mobile industry is the feature that allows a user to make a phone call while concurrently using Wi-Fi data. Equipped with AT&T's original patent from 1996 for "Side-channel communications in simultaneous voice and data transmission" (U.S. Patent No. 5,506,866), this NPE seeks injunction from a lengthy list of technology companies of pretty much every alphabet letter, before this patent expires in November 2013.
As amusing and possibly outrageous as people would find this, Wyncomm may have a good argument here. I'm not sure if Wyncomm will be able to collect every injunction from their huge blacklist, but if they make a strong case in court, they may be able to make a serious dent on the mobile market. Either that or Apple's legion of lawyers will silence Wyncomm with a countersuit.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/04/12/apple-hit-with-patent-suit-over-simultaneous-voice-and-data-wi-fi-tech
I believe that Wyncomm has a good case, because such a functionality to use data while making phone calls existed for a long time. I think it is a direct threat to all cellular services.
ReplyDeleteAre all other companies that are using this technology have a patent for it? Wyncomm seems to have a solid case if it was the first to patent this technology, especially since all smartphones now support this functionality.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Wyncomm is in way over their head. Despite the fact that AT&T is behind them I feel like since they are going up against such giants in their industry they will either be drained of funds or crushed. After all the articles we have read on cases similar to this I dont see a judge siding with Wyncomm.
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