[mythtv-users] Tivo suing everyone in sight over DVR patents

[Brian Wood]

On Friday 28 August 2009 08:56:21 Simon Hobson wrote:
> Brian Wood wrote:
> >You could record up to 30 seconds of video, and since you could be
> > "reviewing" another program on a TV set, Tivo's patent should have been
> > tossed out for prior art.
>
> You haven't read it then :-/

No, but I do know that simply finding something that recorded video prior to 
Tivo would not be sufficient, at least not if the claims were well written.

>
> Johnny wrote:
> >Also I can patent a narrow version of something
> >that is already in prior art. For example someone can patent the idea
> >a chair. Then I can go and patent that idea of a chair that reclines.
> >I can't make my recliner chair without licensing the chair patent, and
> >the chair patent owner can make a recliner without licensing my
> >patent. Even though there may be prior art on DVR technology they can
> >get a patent on a more narrowly defined version of that (e.g. by doing
> >so with their 'media switch'). Anyway you can see how it is easy to
> >get in long protracted arguments about exactly what the claim covers
> >and doesn't cover.
>
> And that is what they have done. The patent isn't on PVR itself, it's
> on a  specific arrangement that allows the use of low performance CPU.

It would be hard to find a CPU that had less power than 1967 technology :-)

>
> In some ways I'm actually surprised at how narrowly they defined it,
> but a decade ago when it was filed, I guess there really weren't that
> many CPUs about so something like Myth wouldn't be possible without
> spending a lot of cash. Also, as Johnny points out, if they made it
> broader then they'd risk having it rejected.

True, trying to patent "a method of using molecules to construct large 
objects" would probably be overly broad.

The legal battle will continue, and none of here will be able to change it, we 
can only be interested spectators.

-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org