RSSGoogle Sued By School Over Database Tech
By Ed Oswald | Published November 12, 2007, 12:41 PM
Northeastern University sued Google last week, claiming the search giant misappropriated patented technology regarding database architecture.
The school's patent covers technology that allows a database query to be split up and handled by multiple computers. This results in queries being handled much faster than they would otherwise by a single machine.
Northeastern received the patent in 1997, and Google was founded the following year. However Jarg Corp., the exclusive licensee of the school's patent, was not aware that Google was infringing on its rights until 2005.
At that time, a law firm made the company aware of a presentation it saw that seemed to resemble Northeastern's database technology. After much research, both Jarg and Northeastern decided that it was indeed using their patented methods without a license, and filed suit.
The law firm that exposed the possible infringement refused to take the case without a retainer, and it took over two and a half years to find a lawyer that would take the case on a contingency basis.
However, one was found and a suit was filed last Tuesday with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The court is frequently used as the beginning of patent infringement cases for its preference to side with the patent holder in such cases.
About eight out of every ten of such cases with the court end with a judgement for the plaintiff. Whatever judgement will be split half-and-half between Jarg and Northeastern after lawyers are paid and court costs.
Google said it is aware of the case, and said "it was without merit," according to The Boston Globe. Northeastern University declined to comment publicly.
Anybody can think of this idea and then claim it's their stuff.
Google is doing this idea in practical way, and their way. So it's not infringing any one's idea.
Idea is idea, details are details.
I would say this is without merit.
Otherwise, DOS command prompt was stolen from Linux.
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If this had any merit, they could have obtained a lawyer pro bono. Note the location of the school, then note the trial venue.
Find someone with deep pockets and maybe you can walk away with some serious cash.
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shame on google.
however, capitalizing by stealing someone else's invention has always been a problem, thus the patent office was created.
so if you snooze then you loose,
like when the morons at IBM sold DOS to the young and honest Mr. Bill Gates for a few dollars.
my bet is on Northeastern.
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Shame on Northeastern for waiting 10 YEARS to file suit.
Personally it seems like a frivolous patent anyway - multi-threaded queries for databases? Who let someone patent that? :p
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perhaps.
but, if in the trial it comes to reveal that the "so called" genius's who invented google did so by hijacking someone else's idea, then they would be nothing more than petty theives - not unlike college students who are determined to cheat and beat the system.
however, i don't think that n.e. will win because the judge, juriors, etc, will likely be google stock owners.
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stupid case. Not worth the legal.
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I do like it when someone so small (and not just a patent holding company) take on a big corporation.
Either way we see a fun result: a crash and burn for the small people, or they get rich.
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Makes for a good opportunity to purchase Google stock on the dip-- Thank Ye Northeastern!!!
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Why are courts with such a clear bias not investigated?
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They're above the law?
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