Lucent Sues 360 Patent

[Vandenh]

Lucent is not happy with the implementation of the MPEG2 decoder in the XBox 360 and is suing Microsoft. The Register (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/) has more (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/05/lucent_sues_microsoft/).

The complaint, filed with the US District Court in San Diego on 28 March, alleges the Xbox 360's MPEG 2 decoder uses techniques outlined in patent number 5,227,878, which is owned by Lucent and details an system for "adaptive coding and decoding of frames and fields of video". Microsoft, said Lucent's suit, does not have permission to use this technology.

[jeffbax]

Thank you patent laws :rolleyes:

[The Flash]

Yeah, this patent thing is getting ridiculous.

[Demize99]

So as it turns out the word "mech" is trademarked, patented, or what have you... Somehow I don't think the creators of the copywrite system envisioned allowing people to reserve the most common accepted term for things, even if those things be giant mechanical robots.

Patents in general are just too broad, and last too damn long for today's fast moving tech business.

[TyphoidMarty]

So as it turns out the word "mech" is trademarked, patented, or what have you... Somehow I don't think the creators of the copywrite system envisioned allowing people to reserve the most common accepted term for things, even if those things be giant mechanical robots.

Patents in general are just too broad, and last too damn long for today's fast moving tech business.
On the good side, if anyone actually develops a mech, who the heck is going to argue trademarks with them? I mean they have 40 Foot robots on their side!