post Tuesday October 2, 2012
It seems that every second a one company is suing another for infringing on its patented technology, properly described by the term “patent war.”
No doubt that applying for patents helps economic growth and sets industry standards, but continuously suing each other for infringement of those patents can cause the banning of new technologies and slow economic growth and technological advancement.
The UN has therefore called for smartphone makers and mobile industries together to discuss the terms under which patents can be licensed out.
“Standard-essential patents cannot be used to block the markets” said secretary general Dr. Hamadoun Torre from the International Telecommunication Union.
In the past, Motorola Mobility was able to ban some of Apple’s products in Germany temporarily. Also Samsung has used its 3G patents in an attempt to ban Apple’s products in Japan, Europe and US.
It is easy to conclude that suing for patent infringement has become more of a rule than an exception. The UN hopes to come to an agreement between the major telecommunication companies as well as between the smartphone producers in an attempts to put a stop to the “patent war.”
The talks will be held on October 10th, 2012.
Source: BBC
Image Source: Free Digital Photos