Chrome Found to Infringe on Malware Patent

Status
Not open for further replies.

BoraMurdar

Community Manager
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Aug 30, 2012
6,598
According to the case file, the patents were awarded to Allen Rozman, former Lucent engineer, and Alfonso J. Cioffi. Rozman died back in 2012, but Cioffi decided to take Google to court in 2013.

The case was dismissed back in 2014 by US District Judge Gilstrap. Then, plaintiffs acknowledged that under the judge’s interpretation of “web browser process”, an infringement claim wouldn’t hold up. But the case was not close by a long shot because Cioffi and Rozman’s family decided to file an appeal, Law360 reports.

The Federal Court decided that Judge Gilstrap’s decision was erroneous due to his interpretation of the words “web browser process.” Under the original interpretation, a web browser process had to be capable of accessing a website without using another web browser process. That meant that a component of Google Chrome accused of infringing the patents couldn’t meet the limitation set by the definition.

“We see nothing that indicates that Cioffi intended its invention to do anything other than protect ‘critical files’ as that concept is widely understood by those of skill in the art,” the Federal Circuit court wrote in the decision.

The fight may not be over yet
Google has appealed to the US Supreme Court to hear the case, but the request was declined. Google, however, is optimistic and is currently evaluating its options, saying it remains confident that the patents are invalid and that Chrome does not infringe.

Google has had a pretty good record of winning patent trials, but it seems that this time luck wasn’t on its side. Whether the company will do more to fight against the $20 million in damages it has to pay the plaintiffs remains to be seen. The money covers the last four years of the patent, but the royalty will apply to the next nine years until the patent expires, which puts the total sum the plaintiffs could get rise to $65 million.

From Softpedia
 
W

Wave

I hope Google win the case... Google Chrome is free software, they are just trying to make things beneficial and secure. These sorts of patents are stupid IMO
 
W

Wave

Even if they lose they would be like " Nah, never mind... it's only 20 million" :D
I think there should be more strict rules when it comes to patents because it causes so many problems... And it can be really unfair at times, too. Microsoft should step in and say that people cannot patent program behavior on their own OS because they "own" it or something, etc...

And hahaha yeah they'd be able to handle £20m like a dish of lasagna :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: BoraMurdar

BoraMurdar

Community Manager
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Aug 30, 2012
6,598
Microsoft should step in and say that people cannot patent program behavior on their own OS because they "own" it or something, etc...
A lot of money is circulating in those waters. That's why these cases will always be popular to be brought to court. And patents are usually badly described and defined so it's easy for lawyers to take advantage of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JM Safe and Wave

Rolo

Level 18
Verified
Jun 14, 2015
857
I hope Google win the case... Google Chrome is free software, they are just trying to make things beneficial and secure. These sorts of patents are stupid IMO
Just because it's free doesn't mean they aren't making money off of it.

Patents are there to protect those who invent and innovate.

Whether the lawsuit is frivolous or not is another issue...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ink
Status
Not open for further replies.

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top