Still love the DMCA? I bet Forgent Networks will use it soon...

[Deja Q]

http://www.macobserver.com/article/2004/04/22.14.shtml (About Apple being one target of many because they use Forgent's apparently propriatary jpg image format, and notice that "Microsoft" is not mentioned as one of the targeted companies - I do find that very odd as MS has tons of products that use JPG as well...)


Forgent Networks acquired the original developers of JPEG, San Jose-based Compression Labs Inc., in 1997. Before that, Forgent was primarily known as a maker of video conferencing hardware under the name Video Telecom, or VTel. After continuing declining revenues, the company changed its name and management in August 2001. It was then that the company became a video technology firm focusing on software and patents. Its portfolio includes nearly 50 patents.


The company remained quiet about its JPEG patent, allowing usage of JPEG compression unhindered, until July 2002 when it began to enforce its patent rights after signing a multi-million dollar license agreement with Sony Corp. Although Forgent would not divulge the exact amount of the agreement, it is thought Sony paid between $17 million and $18 million.

(snip)

"Our technology is an integral part of JPEG and Apple uses JPEG in their devices and software. Apple has been using our methods and materials and they have been stealing our intellectual property, in our opinion. This needs to stop," he said.


More on DMCA and how vile it truly is:

http://www.newmediamusings.com/blog/2003/12/boucher_support.html

http://mail.nl.linux.org/humorix/2001-08/msg00003.html

http://www.stoppoliceware.org/

http://wmf.editthispage.com/discuss/msgReader$5124?mode=topic

http://slashdot.org/articles/01/07/22/0044234.shtml

http://radio.weblogs.com/0104634/2003/01/13.html (search for copyright vigilantism)

http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-0212.html (search for DMCA)

http://forums.devshed.com/archive/t-90072

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1468914&mesg_id=1468914

By, Of, and For the Corporation. Makes open source more appealing, but some of these links show how many politicians (a disturbing number of which claim to be DEMOCRATS, folks...) are trying to outlaw it as well, even if SCO wasn't an issue (and it's not.)

Thanks to all the human scum who enabled the DMCA. It's a big can of worms that stifles innovation. What little good it was meant to be for (uh-huh) has been drowned out by the insanity that's followed.

[kiahzero]

1. Indeed.

DMCA and CBDTPA continue to be my biggest beefs with the Democrats. One instance where the **shudder** Republicans are right - the Democratic Party is in bed with Hollywood.

[Imperialism Inc.]

2. Software patents are bull, but in this case it is even worse.

In this case it is years after developers started using the format.

It is total b.s. to sit and watch a technology become the defacto standard and THEN launch lawsuits.

I think their suit should be limited by the law to the original companies that broke the patent, because after the first one, their letting it happen and doing nothing should show consent imho.

[eyesroll]

4. Patent law usually requires that you aggressively enforce your patent

This should, theoretically, get thrown out (after lots of intimidation, lawyer fees, etc.).

[RC]

3. It would seem to me that

the JPEG format is in the public domain because of the wide spread use with almost anything related to digital graphics.
Remember the hubba a few years ago concerning Jello, Kleenex and such? Same basic idea.