[OSM-talk] It's all over! (patent fun)

[David Earl]

On 06/11/2007 15:01, Doru-Julian Bugariu wrote:
> Frederik Ramm schrieb:
> 
>> Oh dear,
>>
>>     Navteq have a patent on driving around with a car and recording  
>> the track:
>>
> 
> It is from 2004. I have some tracks from 2002. Can I sue them and become
> a billionaire?!?

No, the patent was filed in 1999. That's the date that counts.

And you can't sue someone for getting a patent granted which has what's 
called "prior art": all you can do is use that to defend against a claim 
made against you, or to ask the patent office to review the patent in 
the light of newly discovered prior art.

David