Thursday, September 19, 2002
RIM granted handheld email patent - clobbers Handspring
Posted by Jason Dunn in "THE COMPETITION" @ 04:53 PM
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/27205.html
Wow - this patent may have dire consequences for the entire PDA world! I'm all for companies protecting their inventions, but this seems like such a generic patent - any handheld device designed for email and a thumb-based keyboard? What about keyboards that attach? This isn't good news in any way, and looks like yet another move that is typical for companies on the financial ropes - if you can't survive based on a good product, produce a patent and extort the industry. <sigh>
"On Tuesday Research in Motion was granted a patent for a "hand-held email device", and waited just 24 hours before clobbering rival Handspring Inc. with a writ. Have a close look at the patent [6,452,588, here], because it's sure to cast a very long shadow over the handheld wireless and cellular businesses in the coming months. (Coyly, RIM didn't mention this in its press release yesterday, and the first wire reports this morning haven't twigged that this is a new grant).
The 45-page filing, submitted last July, is for a "Hand-held e-mail device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs … In order to operate within the limited space available on a hand-held electronic device, the present invention optimizes the placement and shape of the keys, preferably using keys that are oval or oblong in shape, and that are placed at angles designed to facilitate thumb-typing. The angles at which keys on either side of the keyboard are placed is [sic] complimentary."
Source: PDA Gerbil
Wow - this patent may have dire consequences for the entire PDA world! I'm all for companies protecting their inventions, but this seems like such a generic patent - any handheld device designed for email and a thumb-based keyboard? What about keyboards that attach? This isn't good news in any way, and looks like yet another move that is typical for companies on the financial ropes - if you can't survive based on a good product, produce a patent and extort the industry. <sigh>
"On Tuesday Research in Motion was granted a patent for a "hand-held email device", and waited just 24 hours before clobbering rival Handspring Inc. with a writ. Have a close look at the patent [6,452,588, here], because it's sure to cast a very long shadow over the handheld wireless and cellular businesses in the coming months. (Coyly, RIM didn't mention this in its press release yesterday, and the first wire reports this morning haven't twigged that this is a new grant).
The 45-page filing, submitted last July, is for a "Hand-held e-mail device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs … In order to operate within the limited space available on a hand-held electronic device, the present invention optimizes the placement and shape of the keys, preferably using keys that are oval or oblong in shape, and that are placed at angles designed to facilitate thumb-typing. The angles at which keys on either side of the keyboard are placed is [sic] complimentary."
Source: PDA Gerbil
