British Telecom (BT) has announced that it's taking Valve to court, over what it claims are patent infringements by the longtime game developer and publisher. While there does seem to be some merit to the suit, all of the patents are rather generic, so there will likely be some wiggle room should this reach the court room.
As the complaint explains (via Kotaku), the first of four patents which BT feels have been infringed upon, relates to the providing of users with content “that originates from multiple subscription services and delivering it through a single portal where a customer may access content for which it has access rights.”
Essentially, it's talking about a service a little like Steam which provides access to multiple sources of content through a single point of access – though that sounds much like Netflix, Amazon and any number of other web-based services.
How dare you offer your customers messaging and streaming options!
The second patent is to do with a “method for delivering structured messages comprised of information and data parts to an intended audience in a reliable and predictable manner.” Although this could be applied to Steam's messaging system, the idea of storing messages on a server in order to deliver to clients while they're online is again, something that a bunch of other services make use of.
The third patent that BT claims Valve infringed upon is related to offering customers various communication options through a service. The fact that Valve offers both messaging and VOIP services through Valve, perhaps even including the streaming function, is enough to infringe upon the patent, BT claims.
The final patent relates to a “multi-user display system and method for controlling a communal display that includes at least two independent workstations and an interface server for connection to a data network.” BT highlights Steam's broadcast system as infringing in this case, though Twitch and Youtube offer near identical functions.
Of course while lots of people infringing on a patent doesn't validate any of them, it's surprising that it's only now that BT is defending it. That may count against it when the time comes to make its case to the courts.
KitGuru Says: As much as I don't like patent trolling, it does seem like there is a case here. Whether it's fair to allow patents for such general systems is another debate entirely, but in this case, it may be that Valve vs BT could be quite a slobberknocker.
Wow, BT are clearly desperate for money and are only going after Valve as they think they have the least capital to defend themselves. I hope BT lose and get hit hard with costs as such general patents are a mockery of the system and are begging for someone to patent breathing…
yet another scheme whereby the only gainers are the Lawyers, I seriously object to my phone bill money being used for this superfluous scheme
Freaking dinosaurs…
Complete patent trolling. Those patents are absurd. There is a man who owns a patent for use of color to enhance the readability of text on a display as well, but at least he did it only to prove how stupid the patent office is.
What ever happened to “non obvious” requirement of patents. Whats sad is that most companys like this, gets patents on things AFTER people have already done it, other people just assumed it was stupid obvious.
Why are generic descriptions of widely applied services even accepted for patent in the first place?
Why not sue Microsoft over Skype violating “messaging and VOIP services?” They also have plenty of money. I just guess it’s a late trend to go against Valve. Microsoft trying to crush valve’s Steam, Facebook using Unity vs Valve. Who’s next?
BT dropping bombs once again. Valve have a serious case here, and could be detrimental, luckily, I doubt this will make courts. The patents are too vague and valve can collaborate with companies offering similar or identical services and ask if they have paid BT any loyalties for using these patents. If the answer is no (although I doubt companies would willing-fully put themselves in this situation) then valve can use this as a “If us, why not them?” approach. I doubt we have anything to worry about.
Like, almost every game service does these same things… There is 0 chance BT will win, and if they did it would be a horrible thing for people. Time to go BANKRUPT and disappear BT, you are worthless to the world.
I am gonna patent breathing, and sue everyone on the planet!
If they thought they got hit hard after the 600,000-pound lawsuit with injured workers in late May, imagine how hard THIS could hit them. Patent trolls are going to lose.
Another case of Euro-boys being mad that they claim to ‘invent ideas’
and then America has like 3 generations of tech ahead of them. They
probably got butt-hurt somehow that Steam, Nvidia, AMD, Creative, and
subsequent ‘games’, and entertainment products etc. are practically all
produced in the US and a large market of euro-trash and kids simply use
their 3rd gen or older products after a tax is imposed. LOL US for the
win yet again. “But guys we invented ‘special forces’!” “But guys we
invented computers!”. Dude those ‘defintions’ are just as skewed as this
case where you sue someone over ‘having distribution services’. What a
factually documented joke.. Coming from the island that wrote in the
history books that they “invented radar” when they stole it the entire
tech/concept from the Germans physicists who invented it first, and then
taught it to their children since they won the war.. EVERYTHING HAS
THESE SERVICES, OBVIOUS BULLSHIT. Just another case of skewed
information when an island nation of ‘Europe’, whom all have inferiority
complexes with the exception of a few, basically is not even bigger and
badder than France in that instance. Comparing countries ftw. I think
England got tired of being called an inferior island and thinks now that
Brexit happened they can ‘flex their propaganda muscles’ again..
pathetic. They are still shit.
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Suck a chode
Weren’t valve doing it before BT even had the thought?
so are they going to take all the rest of these similar services to court too? there’ll be a long list of potential law suits if they win :/ lawyers get rich, companies suffer and customers are the ones paying for all this, if they reach a settlement even the money paid out or even spent on lawyers comes from the profits the companies make which comes from us, so we’ll have to pay more in the end
0 Chance? We’re talking about $38 billion vs $2 billion, it’s not about right or wrong, it’s about how much money one can drop onto a lawsuit to increase the chance of winning, no matter how blatantly the patent troll it is, it has been shown to win. BT is as innovative as failing to install a landline on the first 3 tries, to attack a leading tech company on the grounds of innovation theft is laughable, yet the law is the law, I hope they lose, but my faith in the system is pretty low.
You’re an idiot lol