Despite my frequent criticism of technology patents (and here, or here), I am also officially part of the problem. Last week, I was issued a new patent –number 7243163.
This patent was filed March 29, 2002, while I still worked at Good Technology. Since that time, Good was acquired by Motorola. I assume that Motorola now owns the patent; but I don’t really know. All I know is that while it could be used to do evil work for others, it will no longer do anything to benefit me. It might have increased the purchase price that Motorola paid for Good, so perhaps everyone at Good owes me a nickel.
Aside: Here is an idea for a website – sort of like the USPTO website of patents, but instead keep track of who-sued-who and who-was-awarded-what for patent infringement cases. It would be neat to go back and find out who won from this patent just by looking up the number.
Anyway, there is one thing that makes me proud of this patent. I am the co-author of that patent with John Friend, Roger Collins, and Mike Bennett. These guys were all fantastic engineers, and I’m thrilled to have worked with them. If you want to know more about what a “data processing apparatus” is, you’ll have to ask them, because I haven’t a clue.
“Aside: Here is an idea for a website – sort of like the USPTO website of patents, but instead keep track of who-sued-who and who-was-awarded-what for patent infringement cases. It would be neat to go back and find out who won from this patent just by looking up the number.”
Mike, I’m seriosuly not trying to plug this website here, but since you mentioned it above, check out http://www.docketnavigator.com.