Walkman 'inventor' ponders iPod action

[NFS4]

DIE BITCH!:| I hate these scum

The man who came up with idea of the personal stereo is threatening to sue Apple over the iPod. Andreas Pavel filed a patent on the concept of a "stereobelt" back in 1978. The idea was for a small portable music player that could be clipped to a belt or handbag, and produce sound to be played back through headphones.

None of Pavel's prototypes reached market. Two years after he patented the idea Sony unveiled the Walkman. Pavel used legal aid against Sony in the UK courts in 1993 and 1996 but lost both cases. Pavel has recently been offered several million euros to settle the outstanding disputes with Sony. Sony told The Independent that the long-running dispute, which has gone on for 25 years, was settled "in friendly agreement".

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=8828

 

[hevnsnt]

Good die ipod die.

 

The iPod was a revolutionary idea that changed the music world forever and spawned a thousand imitators. It's completely unrelated to the Walkman. There's no way Apple owes this guy money. Absolutely no way.

 

[waggy]

yeah since ithe IPOD and walkman are the same thing.

since he had sony settle he figures he can use that to get the ipod to settle. ba fvuck him and his horse!

 

[0roo0roo]

he needs to die

 

[imported_Strang]

What a dork.

 

[AcidicFury]

He needs a life.

 

[Bootprint]

Another link, how long would his patent last?

 

[Turkish]

lol funny, is he sueing in U.S.?

 

[fs5]

moron... he should die.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Another link, how long would his patent last?

Hmm, from reading the article it sounds like the patent should be dead by now. Normal patents have a 20 year life span, his patent was in 1978.

Ack, I wanted edit not reply.

 

[GhettoFob]

Apple should give him an iPod and tell him to shut up.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Bootprint

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Another link, how long would his patent last?

Hmm, from reading the article it sounds like the patent should be dead by now. Normal patents have a 20 year life span, his patent was in 1978.

Ack, I wanted edit not reply.

Patents granted before 1995 only lasted 17 years IIRC, this guys a decade late. Im suprised Sony settled.

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: jumpr
The iPod was a revolutionary idea that changed the music world forever and spawned a thousand imitators. It's completely unrelated to the Walkman. There's no way Apple owes this guy money. Absolutely no way.

that might be a little more dramatic than his response.

 

Originally posted by: PatboyX

Originally posted by: jumpr
The iPod was a revolutionary idea that changed the music world forever and spawned a thousand imitators. It's completely unrelated to the Walkman. There's no way Apple owes this guy money. Absolutely no way.

that might be a little more dramatic than his response.

What're you talking about? Is not every single HDD-based MP3 player compared to the iPod in reviews? Isn't the iPod form factor the holy grail of HDD-based MP3 player design?

The iPod is the undisputed champion of portable music; I don't see what's wrong with my above comments or these.

That said, I don't own an iPod.

 

[vi edit]

This is one of my problems with patents and "intellectual rights".

Just because I came up with the idea of an "electric powered device that opens garage doors" doesn't mean I should be paid for every single different brand of electric garage door openers out there. Samething with this - broad technology - like personal music players aren't patentable. They are concepts and open to anyone willing to put the time an money into making their own.

JMHO.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
This is one of my problems with patents and "intellectual rights".

Just because I came up with the idea of an "electric powered device that opens garage doors" doesn't mean I should be paid for every single different brand of electric garage door openers out there. Samething with this - broad technology - like personal music players aren't patentable. They are concepts and open to anyone willing to put the time an money into making their own.

JMHO.

The problem is, Paval actually produced the patented item. Sonys original walkman was almost identical, according to reports. Sony had 18 paid patent experts to testify over 31 days back during the last case. They won, which is why Im suprised they settled.

As for him wanting to sue Apple. The patent expired in 1995, and even then, the Ipod is radically different, and the vauge patent(if it was still valid) wouldnt hold up in court.

 

[Koing]

What happens when a patent runs out? Free game for everyone else?

Koing

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Koing
What happens when a patent runs out? Free game for everyone else?

Koing

Yes, thats why drug companies fight tooth and nail to get congress to extend patents for the drugs they develop. They say they do it trying to recover R&D, but infact it just allows them to gouge and reap massive profits. Congress really should stop allowing it.

 

[Schadenfroh]

shall we order an AT gestapo assisination?

 

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Koing
What happens when a patent runs out? Free game for everyone else?

Koing

Yes, thats why drug companies fight tooth and nail to get congress to extend patents for the drugs they develop. They say they do it trying to recover R&D, but infact it just allows them to gouge and reap massive profits. Congress really should stop allowing it.

And it's also why Paxil suddenly becomes "Paxil CR (Controlled Release)" - there's some fancy new 'feature' added to the drug, and the patent can be extended because the product was updated. I think that's how it works.

 

[arcain]

Originally posted by: Koing
What happens when a patent runs out? Free game for everyone else?

Koing

Yes, that is the point of a patent. It grants the inventor a temporary monopoly in exchange for all necessary information to recreate the invention to be public domain at the expiration of the patent. The same should happen with copyrights, but Disney lobbied hard, and copyright expirations keep on getting dragged out.

 

[DeeKnow]

Originally posted by: AcidicFury
He needs a life.

naah... he just needs money... like you and me

 

[Mellman]

I hate patents....they're so rediculously vauge and all the big companies go around and state "device that helps you pee better" and blanket anything in t hat area...its rediculous...not to mention the process takes FOREVER

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: jumpr
The iPod was a revolutionary idea that changed the music world forever and spawned a thousand imitators. It's completely unrelated to the Walkman. There's no way Apple owes this guy money. Absolutely no way.

Revolutionary? Hardly. I had an MP3 player long before the iPod came along. Evolutionary, yes, but not revolutionary. Apple is very good at marketing and style, and they always have been.