Certicom Corp sues Sony over Blu-ray encryption infringement: other companies may suffer too
It's a bad week for Sony. Just having time to draw breath after Target Technology Company's lawsuit for Blu-ray materials infringement, they're being sued again.
This time, Canadian company Certicom Corp alleges that Sony is using its patented digital content protection technology in a variety of its products including its DVD players, PS3, and Vaio PCs. In addition, other patented Certicom digital transmission technology is being used unlicensed in devices such as HD TVs and audio equipment.
The patent in question is one for ellyptic curve cryptography used to encode digital media. From the language used by Bernard Crotty, CEO of Certicom, other companies in both Blu-ray and HD DVD camps may not be exempt from lawsuits either, though no other companies have yet been named.
This has nothing to do with the copy protection systems implemented by the AACS Licensing Authority. In fact, it may also affect manufacturers of standard DVDs, and, if the lawsuits are successful, could prove very expensive for a lot of companies.
Sony needs to just have an all out legal war with these trivial companies and either void their patents or file a counter suit. Plain and simple. Sony holds at least 400 patents on this technology. To build on it based on a reference to Sony's patents is ridiculous. I guess I'll just have to patent the wheel. Or how about a tire made of multiple compounds included in the manufature of rubber tires. What a joke. Patent law needs reform...same goes with IP patents.
Posted by: janus | June 1, 2007 4:54 AM