alcatel-lucent

WiMax patent alliance announced

Six technology heavyweights came together Monday to announce an alliance to jointly license patents for the broadband wireless technology WiMax.

The group, which calls itself the Open Patent Alliance, includes Intel, Cisco Systems, Samsung Electronics, Sprint Nextel, Clearwire, and Alcatel-Lucent. The intent of the group is to gather rights to WiMax patents and license them to makers of consumer electronics devices, networking equipment, and computers.

During a Webcast Monday, executives from each of the six companies emphasized the openness of the alliance that was being created. And the companies said they hoped other companies would join the group.

"As … Read more

Trade commission rules for Alcatel-Lucent in Microsoft patent case

Alcatel-Lucent scored a victory Tuesday when the U.S. International Trade Commission rebuffed a patent infringement claim filed by Microsoft.

The commission reversed an earlier ruling by an administrative law judge, who found Alcatel-Lucent had violated one of Microsoft's patents.

The commission ruled that Alcatel-Lucent did not infringe on patent No. 6,421,439 patent, which deals with technology to identify and affiliate a user in a telephone network, according to the commission's decision.

In its ruling, the commission noted Alcatel-Lucent did not infringe on three of Microsoft's claims because of the way in which the wording … Read more

Appeals court issues split ruling in Alcatel-Lucent patent case

A federal appeals court issued a split ruling on Alcatel-Lucent's patent infringement lawsuit against Microsoft and Dell.

The U.S. Court of Appeals on Thursday issued a ruling Thursday that kicks one of Alcatel-Lucent's claims back down to the lower courts for further review. This particular allegation centers on a communications protocol (Ackerman, or 131) patent designed to allow a host computer to communicate with a "terminal device."

The appeals court, in remanding the case back to the lower courts, said the lower court erred in its construction of the term "terminal device."

The … Read more

Sanity prevails in MP3 patent case

Back in February, a jury in the District Court of Southern California found Microsoft guilty of infringing two patents held by Alcatel-Lucent related to MP3 technology, and awarded Alcatel-Lucent $1.52 billion. It was the biggest patent-infringement verdict in U.S. history, and also the biggest fine ever levied against Microsoft. (Although the company did pay a larger amount--$1.95 billion--in 2004 to settle antitrust and patent infringement claims brought by Sun Microsystems.)

I'm not a patent lawyer, and Microsoft has certainly been found guilty of illegal business tactics before, but this verdict seemed crazy at the time. … Read more