WIFI, DILUTION AND DOCTORS

WiFi

VNU reports that the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has won a US District Court patent case concerning WiFi. The court ruled that the Japanese company, Buffalo Technology’s, WiFi devices infringed CSIRO’s patent concerning the the 802.11a/g standard, a Wi-Fi interface that is used by most notebook and desktop wireless Lan devices. However, the validity of the patent is being challenged by Intel, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Apple and Netgear in separate litigation. If this action is successful then the affect of the decision in the case against Buffalo will be ameliorated.

The IPKat says that while patents over industry standards may be inconvenient, this fact alone does not render them invalid.


Recommended reading

The IPKat alerts his readers that the contents of an online symposium on the US Trademark Dilution Revision Act 2006 are available freely online from FirstImpressions, a companion to the Michigan Law Review. Participants include Profs Graeme Dinwoodie, Mark Janis and Stacey Dogan.


PhD

IPKat co-blogmeister Ilanah [who hates writing about herself in the third person] was awarded her PhD on Monday for research into dilution by blurring in the US and EU. Anyone interested in discussing the subject is welcome to get in touch.