“Filed in the Central District of California Western Division, NetAirus claims that Apple’s iPhone infringes ‘380 patent,” Dalrymple reports. “The patent issued on September 5, 2006 and held by NetAirus describes a ‘Wireless Handset Communication System.'”
“Unlike some patent lawsuits that claim part of a company’s product infringes on its patent, NetAirus seems to claim the entire iPhone concept is infringing on its patent,” Dalrymple reports. “NetAirus claims that the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS all infringe on this patent.”
Dalrymple reports, “The lawsuit is asking the court to stop Apple from making the iPhone and cash damages.”
Full article, with NetAirus’ patent description, here.
MacDailyNews Take: If that patent isn’t deemed to be overly broad, it’s hard to imagine what patent would be.
Oh, spare us!
It took them 3 YEARS to figure this out?
This means they can/will sue EVERY phone manufacturer?
wow, why not sue all handset manufacturers, they seem to be infringing more than apple…”hinged Keyboard?” really?
Magic word: concept
Apple has done all the hard work and now these guys think they are going to cache in cause they watched a few Star Trek episodes and then patented the idea of the communicator. Unbelievable. The patent system is effed.
Their patent also covers to dixie cups with a piece of string between them.
I think some patent clerk somewhere needs to learn how to review prior art… I guess there were no Wireless Handset Communication Systems around PRIOR to 5 September 2006… or it took over 20 years to review all of the claims and the patent was still issued…
Sounds like 8ull $hit to me…
After reading the summary description – the suit will not fly. But who knows in todays crazy phuqued up legal world!
Cheers from the land downunder!
“this parrot is dead”…
“Systems can be configured in a portable arrangement similar to conventional notebook computers, but can be quickly and easily disassembled and re-assembled for office desktop uses.”
Aaaaaand how exactly does that come anywhere near an iPhone? Perhaps the iPad with the keyboard dock is a bit closer? Still doesn’t have that hinged keyboard though. Every POS flip phone made in the last decade is light years closer to this patent than the iPhone is. I’d call these guys morons, but they’re not good enough for that.
lmao … okay, that was funny. This is a joke. Right?
I read through their patent application and what they describe could be applied to just about anything and some of the specifics don’t even apply.
No case. Next.
Yeah, I had a similar situation with Mother Nature.
I had the idea for oxygen before she did and she went ahead and implemented her own version.
I’m still waiting to see how successful her version of Air is and then I’m going to claim it and sue her.
MacRumors reports that this appears to be a one-man shop that has attempted to sue multiple corporations over the years under different company names.
This isn’t going to go far, and I’m surprised that this has caught this much attention.
Lawyers r the scourge of humanity! Greed corrupts absolutely!
I have a patent pending on the concept of talking, so every one of you had better shut up right now or I’ll SUE!!!!!!
Seems like a new unenforceable patent every week now. BTw, i’m guessing BBerries, Palms & Droids don’t fit this description? Absolutely ridiculous..
I’ve written several patents and am a named inventor on 15 patents and am the primary inventor on a couple. I am rather familiar with the basics of patent theory and the requirements that an invention be unobvious and novel to someone skilled in the art. I’ve looked at both 5,983,073 and 7,103,380.
In my humble opinion, NetAirus was simply trying to patent the obvious concept of having both Bluetooth and WiFi in any portable device.
I doubt they will win.
New update NetAirus is currently preping a lawsuit against all of mankind. To identify if you are at risk answer the questions below.
1. Do you have the ability to comunicate with your voice?
2. Can you message people with your hands? ie flip them the bird.
3. Can you view things with your eyes?
If you answered yes to any of the 3 questions you are at risk. Stop comunicating at once! Yup this lawsuit is full blown retarded.
While the patent does not sound at all like an iPhone (where is the iPhone’s hinge or “keyboard assembly”, it does sound like netbooks from all of the various manufacturers. I hope HP and Dell paid for patent licensing from these guys…
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Geesh… would somebody in power please just revoke the whole patent system already?
Broken. Beyond. Repair.
Another company stretching an old patent to try and get rich by suing Apple. First of all a hinged keyboard is something the iPhone does not use or have. The keyboard used by the iPhone is described as a touch keyboard, not a hinged keyboard!! Flip phones could be described as having a hinged keyboard, again not the iPhone.
Wireless Handset Communication System. We used to call those Walkie Talkies. Actually, just cupping your hands over your mouth and shouting would qualify.
The US Patent Office has outdone itself approving this patent.
I want a patent that says, “You plug it in”.
That’s it. Includes everything from toasters to the Space Shuttle.
I’m gonna be richer than Billy Gates.
Oh thank goodness they brought this up in a timely manner.
what a bunch of morons. why sue apple and why now? and who the fuck granted so broad patent? this is completely insane – they can sue anyone, even star trek
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Everybody infringes on everything I created.
Give it back!
Here in new Hampshire, it’s the season for black files, ticks, and mosquitos, which are busily at work. It seems the blood suckers in the business world are as well. The difference is the latter are always in season. Ayuh!
A wireless handset? That could include non-cell phones too. Patent laws or rules should deny such broad patents which could be interpeted as so many things. That’s like me saying my patent covers music.
Handheld wireless goes all the way back to WW II, are they going to sue the US Army? I think I smell a patient troll.
I patented air last week. You all owe me money.
Go to hell. The iPhone os apples property amd why wait till now. You snooze you loose.
When are they planning on producing a working unit? Isn’t part of the patent process actually making something?
presumably Netairus submitted an exploded diagram of said product with the patent submission, that in the diagram, components were described and the patent holders of the components were named or licences had been granted and submitted with the application. Finally, they provided a model of the product in order to safe guard the look and feel of said product.
Did Apple inc. develop, create, patent, demonstrate & market the iPhone after Sept 2006?
Cash grab. Ludicrous. Filthy.
Having read the breakdown of the alleged patent, all I can say is, “What a load of crap!”
The device may contain one or more of………..
With that in mind that lump of gristle sat on the shoulders of the so-called patentee may contain one or more brain cells but I wouldn’t bank on it.
When we get rid of the “We’ll sue anybody on your behalf and it won’t cost you a penny” lawyers the world will be a better place.
A “Wireless Handset Communication System” ?!?!?
I think Starfleet has you beat on that one.
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Come on — just where has NetAirus Technologies been these last many years?
Its time for NetAirus Technologies to learn how to make a fair income without leaving off the success of others!
If such ridiculously wide-ranging patents are so easy to get, I’m patenting super-air. It’s a system and product that transforms all states of air (include non-air) into air that can sustain life (or not) and is stored as a solid, liquid, or gas and delivered mechanically, electronically, or biologically.
I’ll sue everybody, including the Internet.
you can see that all these articles are so aplled sided it makes hard read or believe it! this app is deleted!
Had the iPhone generated lackluster sales, 5$ says no suit would have been initiated.
Let’s see their working concept that doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s patents…(bluetooth, wifi, hinges, keyboards, processor chips, etc…)I kind of doubt it exists. It’s one thing to draw something up on a paper napkin, another thing entirely to demonstrate proof of concept, and a viable product. Losers and leeches would describe these idiots perfectluy. The lawyers who brought this should be sued themselves by Apple for wasting their valuable time, and disbarred for wasting the court’s time. The plaintifs should be sued out of existence, and fined for filing a frivolous lawsuit. Even better would be if all cellphone manufacturers, laptop and netbook manufacturers each separately sued these bastards just to break them once and for all. I’m sure their chicken-shit lawyers would scatter like hell once they realized they won’t get paid.
In so far as the iPhone is basically a really tiny Mac OS-X laptop, I find it hard to believe this patent will fly.
This is yet-another case of BS submarine patent fraud.
Funny how Apple’s brilliant success in the midst of the ongoing Bush Depression has brought all the worms out of the woodwork. The lawyers love it. No depression for them!
Gold diggers are having a field day ripping the fruit of Apple’s labours