Mountain View (CA) – GraphOn, a software company that offers remote application access software, said it has filed a patent infringement suit against Google. If GraphOn is right, the Google’s Google Base, AdWords, Blogger, Sites and YouTube services could be colliding with four patents, forcing the search giant to pay GraphOn damages as well as license fees for past and future usage.  

Google has built an empire on web applications and just this fact could cost the company big. GraphOn said that Google infringes four patents the company  obtained when it acquired Network Engineering Software (NES) in February 2005. According to the suit filed at the United States District Court in the Eastern District of Texas, alleges that Google Base, AdWords, Blogger, Sites and YouTube illegally use a patent-protected method of “maintaining an automated and network-accessible database”.

The same four patents were the subject of nine lawsuits that GraphOn filed against IAC/InterActiveCorp, Yahoo, Match.com, Classified Ventures, eHarmony.com, Juniper Networks, and AutoTrader.com. The AutoTrader.com lawsuit, which only covered two GraphOn patents, was settled with a technology license agreement.

According to a press release GraphOn suit seeks “permanent injunctive relief along with unspecified damages”. Google is expected to defend itself against GraphOn in court; a favorable outcome for GraphOn could not only be very expensive for Google, but also enable GraphOn to expand its suit to possibly thousands of websites.

“The number of patents now owned by GraphOn as a result of the NES acquisition has increased to twenty three, a number that is expected to continue to increase as patent applications on file at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office mature into issued patents,” said Robert Dilworth, GraphOn’s chief executive officer. “Aggressively protecting the technology represented in these patents is an important part of maximizing their value to GraphOn.”

Lordy.

Aug 19, 2008 02:24     

This US system of patents is just horrifyingly bad, and why is it all of these patent infringements are filed in Texas exactly? There's some sort of joke that I'm not getting. I don't understand why these companies are allowed to file vague patents for things willy nilly that they never invented, never intend to put into production, and never intend to license, and instead just seek to sue anyone who may use them.

Revrant report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +13

Patent Pirates

Aug 19, 2008 02:50     

When will the U.S. Stand up to patent pirates, and litigation lawyers. If there is one root cause of the current economic downturn, it is the wasted resource and productivity that goes into so many meaningless industries today. I use the word industry lightly of course, because industry implies making something. These litigation-centric companies are only interested in stealing it. "Maximizing patent value"?! Give me a break. Go DO something, instead of trying to take from those who have.

Demgar report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +9

GraphOff already.

Aug 19, 2008 03:14     

GraphOff already.
StudyMaster report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +10

Well that was a bag of bullshit

Aug 19, 2008 05:50     

Are all the idiots from SCO went to work for GraphOn?
Panio Donev report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +6

"Aggressively protecting the technology represented in these patents"

Aug 19, 2008 08:00     

You'd think "aggressive protection" wouldn't have waited 3 years to bring a suit against one of the biggest "infringers". This whole patent system is broken. Someone needs to fix it.
Dauthi report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +10

sad Just sad

Aug 19, 2008 09:06     

Another case of a no name company suing big companies all in the name of greed. What really bugs me is that even though this company does have the patents for the technology, they haven't done $h;t with it. Instead like in so many other cases, they just wait for another company to bank on said technology and then they come in with their big lawsuits and sweep up all the coin. Hey I think I own the patent on the color blue, now I shall sue the world! :P

fanboy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +5

"This whole patent system is broken. Someone needs to fix it."

Aug 19, 2008 10:17     

Someone probably already patented the solution.
Greg report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +3

Every Web Company

Aug 20, 2008 09:34     

How is this not then impacting every web company that drives their website via a database? I am sure even TGDaily has a database behind their web site. My company should be getting sued too.
cosmo77 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0