Sunday, December 29, 2002
HP Sued Over WordLogic Keyboard
Posted by marlof in "NEWS" @ 04:07 AM
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L270427E2
As you can see in a press release, in November 2001 WordLogic and Compaq were happy to announce the shipment of the WordLogic Predictive Keyboard with the Compaq iPAQ 3800 series. In July 2002 WordLogic announced an agreement with HP that newer iPAQ 3900 and 5000 would come with a trial verion of the predictive keyboard. But there the happiness ends, since WordLogic is now suing HP on the explanation of their agreement. Did the new agreement and the purchase of Compaq by HP mean HP should stop shipping the full version with the 3800 series? WordLogic seems to think so. According to WordLogic a lot of money is at stake in this suit:
"Hewlett-Packard was supposed to stop putting the full version of the software in the 3800 series, the suit contends. Yet it continued providing the full version in "several hundred thousand'' 3800 series iPAQs without paying WordLogic, the suit claims. WordLogic said it has lost "tens of millions of dollars'' because of Hewlett-Packard's actions. [...] Under the new agreement, WordLogic gets $18.95 and Hewlett- Packard gets $1 for each full version of the software downloaded by consumers for the 3900 and 5000 series devices. WordLogic's suit seeks $18.95 for every infringing 3800 series device sold, plus Hewlett-Packard's profits."
Without knowledge of the content of the agreements it's hard to say who's right. Still I couldn't help smiling when I read the claim of losing tens of millions of dollars, as that probably only would have been the case if every 3800 series owner would have bought WordLogic. Therefore it sounds a bit strange to me that HP would have to buy the licenses of the product as shipped with previously sold 3800 devices at the full retail price, where many of the owners might not even use the product. Personally I did not see WordLogic as the major selling point of the 3800 series, although the software is cool. But I do not know a single person who has chosen WordLogic as his or her primary text entry method. I also don't know a single person who has bought WordLogic after using it for the trial period on the newer devices. Do you?
As you can see in a press release, in November 2001 WordLogic and Compaq were happy to announce the shipment of the WordLogic Predictive Keyboard with the Compaq iPAQ 3800 series. In July 2002 WordLogic announced an agreement with HP that newer iPAQ 3900 and 5000 would come with a trial verion of the predictive keyboard. But there the happiness ends, since WordLogic is now suing HP on the explanation of their agreement. Did the new agreement and the purchase of Compaq by HP mean HP should stop shipping the full version with the 3800 series? WordLogic seems to think so. According to WordLogic a lot of money is at stake in this suit:
"Hewlett-Packard was supposed to stop putting the full version of the software in the 3800 series, the suit contends. Yet it continued providing the full version in "several hundred thousand'' 3800 series iPAQs without paying WordLogic, the suit claims. WordLogic said it has lost "tens of millions of dollars'' because of Hewlett-Packard's actions. [...] Under the new agreement, WordLogic gets $18.95 and Hewlett- Packard gets $1 for each full version of the software downloaded by consumers for the 3900 and 5000 series devices. WordLogic's suit seeks $18.95 for every infringing 3800 series device sold, plus Hewlett-Packard's profits."
Without knowledge of the content of the agreements it's hard to say who's right. Still I couldn't help smiling when I read the claim of losing tens of millions of dollars, as that probably only would have been the case if every 3800 series owner would have bought WordLogic. Therefore it sounds a bit strange to me that HP would have to buy the licenses of the product as shipped with previously sold 3800 devices at the full retail price, where many of the owners might not even use the product. Personally I did not see WordLogic as the major selling point of the 3800 series, although the software is cool. But I do not know a single person who has chosen WordLogic as his or her primary text entry method. I also don't know a single person who has bought WordLogic after using it for the trial period on the newer devices. Do you?
