Re: [Patents] EPO grants Acacia patent on video streaming]

[Jozef Halbersztadt <halber@idea.net.pl>]

Hartmut Pilch wrote:

> > For companies that have been served with a court notice, I provide prior art
> > finds for free.
> >    
>
> In Europe we rather need some voluntary help in suing this patent invalid 
> due to lack of patentable subject matter / technical character.  The 
> generic computer system that is claimed is of course well known, and the 
> rest of what acacia allegedly invented consists of nothing but computer 
> programs, calculation rules or whatever you name it.  Maybe it would also
> be necessary to organise some kind of demo outside the court, so that the 
> judiciary may know which is the authority that it should follow, if it 
> can't just plainly apply the law.
>  

The patent was granted but the proceedings in the EPO are not over.

According to Article 99 the EPC anyone has opportunity to oppose the 
granted patent. As one can read down at the first page of any B1 patent 
specification the notice of opposition should arrive within nine months. 
In the case of EP933892 patent the deadline is 15.7.2004.

Is it a case for FFII?

Cannot we put together a team to stand up against Acacia? As I 
understand universities and all education establishments are in danger. 
There is any faculty of law ready to prepare a draft of the statement?

Jozef Halbersztadt