AfterDawn: News

Sony guilty of copyright infringement

A jury has found Sony guilty of copyright infringement and ordered the electronics giant to pay $18.5 million USD in monetary compensation to Agere Systems.

Sony was found guilty of "wilfully violating copyrighted technology on a number of devices" including the mylo personal communicator, the PlayStation Portable and the Network Walkman audio players. The patent in question relates to a "wireless local area network apparatus."



Although Agere won the case, it is not clear whether the ordered compensation is what the company had hoped for. The original claim stated Agere wanted compensation for lost profits as well as monetary damages equal to 300 percent of the lost profits.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 Nov 2008 23:51

• Previous article

• WoW expansion becomes fastest selling PC title ever

• Next article

• Retailers expect Wii shortages this Christmas

• 25 comments

• Leningrad

  at least sony got what they deserved.

  22.11.2008 00:08 #1

• varnull

  They made a mistake.. They should have demanded a percentage compensation on total sales of devices containing their technology.. say 20% of the sales price.. plus another 20% for taking without asking... Or like the mpaa do it.. $5000 per item, plus punitive damages up to $200,000 per infringement (which is per device too)
  Treat these corporate thieving scum like they treat people who aren't profiting from the "crime" of copyright infringement.

  22.11.2008 00:37 #2

• cousinkix

  Imagine what the price would be, if SONY was fined for every of it's CD/DVD burners, that is used by criminals to make pirated copies of of music albums and movies...

  22.11.2008 02:39 #3

• ALIS123

  LOL. The bastards got what they deserved, the compensation is too low but 18.5 million must sting a little.

  22.11.2008 03:43 #4

• AXT

  Sony = Hypocrites.

  22.11.2008 03:56 #5

• griselda7

  Who knew !

  22.11.2008 04:23 #6

• ZippyDSM

  18 million is like 18 bucks to us at least amke ti 180 million..maybe they will think twice the next time... or better yet the way they scale up consumer crime make it 18 billion....

  22.11.2008 07:59 #7

• varnull

  While we are at it... ban sony from handling/owning/selling any electronic devices for 2 to 5 years.. same as they do to somebody who has downloaded a few songs.
  
  A fair penalty (in proportion to what they do to single parents) would be $1,800 billion... make them sweat with a fine they can't possibly afford to pay and stay alive.
  
  Good riddance mpaa/riaa/bpi cartel scum. I would dance naked in the street at a good fair and proportional result!!
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. The flower of carnage-shura no hana..
  10th International Transgender Day of Remembrance 20/11/08

  22.11.2008 08:10 #8

• blueroad

  ill b dancing with you dude just dun get too close to me lol

  22.11.2008 08:31 #9

• Leningrad

  It would be bad for the US enconomy if Sony collapsed, add this the financial crisis and then it would be worse. They shoudnt collapse but someone has teach those bastards a lesson once in a while.

  22.11.2008 08:55 #10

• fgamer

  18.5m does NOT sting at all, it should've been something like 100Million +, this is nothing more than a slap on the risk, in fact it's silly how Sony profited off of stealing from Agere Systems, and they obviously should've be made to pay royalties on ALL the offending products containing the copyright.

  22.11.2008 09:33 #11

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by Leningrad: It would be bad for the US enconomy if Sony collapsed, add this the financial crisis and then it would be worse. They shoudnt collapse but someone has teach those bastards a lesson once in a while.Not really like the auto makers not much is really made inside the US so they could go belly up and will be replaced by lower wage assembly jobs.
  

  Fallout 3 has stole my soul.
  Yes it is a action focused FPS RPG but at least its a FPS RPG not a poorly deved shooter like Bioshock!
  ------
  Taking notes to tweak FO3 when they launch the C.K.
  http://tinyurl.com/zippyfo3iedas

  22.11.2008 09:40 #12

• Leningrad

  True but jobs will be lost.

  22.11.2008 10:09 #13

• loubat

  Uggghhh, I'm no Sony fanboy, but can we please get some serious patent-litigation reform in this country already??

  22.11.2008 18:41 #14

• LordRuss

  You know, on one hand you could say, "Thank god they have finally slapped the dick of a greedy corporation." Then after thinking about it, it is the consumer that is getting their dick smacked.
  
  The only thing this does is prove that Sony is no different than any other greed machine. This does nothing more than set back the share holders their bazillion dollars for a couple of years.
  
  We (the consumers) get to pay even more for proprietary technology, i.e., Movies go up about $5, Media players go up about 30% and like some of the other writers here have said, a bunch of folks that don't deserve it, get a pink slip for the holidays.
  
  It's always the biggest hog feeding off the tit that gets slaughtered first, or do these corporations not see this coming?

  22.11.2008 18:44 #15

• borhan9

  aftwe reading this article i still did not get whatsony got busted for???

  22.11.2008 23:58 #16

• varnull

  They got busted for exactly the same thing (only more serious because they made money from the theft) that they and their mpaa/riaa ganster scum friends screw people into the ground for when they are seen downloading (for NO FINANCIAL GAIN WHATSOEVER) a couple of songs or some crappy overhyped POS movie.
  
  DIE MPAA/RIAA SCUM..
  
  And screw the US economy too.. Maybe that heap of back biting "one law for us.. another law for the rest of you" so called "representatives run by disgusting neo-nazi church and big business could learn something if it was to totally collapse while the mpaa/riaa were still rolling in it.
  
  Since prop 8 and the scummy way the media was used by nazis to lie to and frighten the sheep of California the already low esteem that I hold the USA in has finally hit rock bottom.. It's an uneducated witch doctor believing church and fantasy god following redneck backwards looking hick small town mentality lump of crap that the Russians should have nuked off the face of the earth in the 60's.. They would have done the future a great service !!

  23.11.2008 16:18 #17

• LordRuss

  Originally posted by varnull:
  DIE MPAA/RIAA SCUM..
  
  And screw the US economy too.. Maybe that heap of back biting "one law for us.. another law for the rest of you" so called "representatives run by disgusting neo-nazi church and big business could learn something if it was to totally collapse while the mpaa/riaa were still rolling in it.
  
  Since prop 8 and the scummy way the media was used by nazis to lie to and frighten the sheep of California the already low esteem that I hold the USA in has finally hit rock bottom.. It's an uneducated witch doctor believing church and fantasy god following redneck backwards looking hick small town mentality lump of crap that the Russians should have nuked off the face of the earth in the 60's.. They would have done the future a great service !!Well... that's a bit strong, but i can see where you're coming from.
  
  Problem is. the whole "one rule for you and a completely different rule for you" game has been in effect since Ogg bashed Nogg for his leg bone.
  
  Bad as our system has gotten and Quaker as our ignorant asses want people to believe we are, I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
  
  Well... Maybe Austrailia or England... But not because the "grass is greener".

  23.11.2008 16:37 #18

• LordRuss

  Damnit,
  
  
  "One rule for me and a completely different rule for you" was what i was originally supposed to have written.
  
  Maybe my old ass will eventually learn to proof read my ****...

  23.11.2008 17:18 #19

• SProdigy

  Geesh Varnull, that's a bit harsh. Sorry that the Americans are the ones that prop up Hollywood, the music industry, etc. by spending our money in the entertainment industry. I'm sure that the Brits, Aussies, Japs and others aren't to blame for "fattening the pig" that is corporate greed.
  
  Yes, things are pretty low. I hate this litigation crap. The witch hunts for busting people downloading music is sick, and there is no revolving door when Sony gets their hand caught in the cookie jar. I can agree on that.
  
  It's up to society to start crying foul over this type of behavior. There is no double standard, and we need to be vocal. However, we are part of the same sue-happy society that needs to blame someone when we will hot coffee on ourselves!
  
  Society has been to lax and has let corporations grow to benefit themselves and not those who support it (employees and consumers.) Why is it that someone, like my father, was making $20 an hour 20 years ago, but the same job in the present pays $8? Factor in everything from a loaf of bread to a gallon of gas costs X dollars more, and you see where we're headed.

  24.11.2008 09:30 #20

• The111

  Originally posted by SProdigy: Why is it that someone, like my father, was making $20 an hour 20 years ago, but the same job in the present pays $8?What job is that? I can't think of anything that fits the description...

  24.11.2008 10:58 #21

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by SProdigy: Geesh Varnull, that's a bit harsh. Sorry that the Americans are the ones that prop up Hollywood, the music industry, etc. by spending our money in the entertainment industry. I'm sure that the Brits, Aussies, Japs and others aren't to blame for "fattening the pig" that is corporate greed.
  
  Yes, things are pretty low. I hate this litigation crap. The witch hunts for busting people downloading music is sick, and there is no revolving door when Sony gets their hand caught in the cookie jar. I can agree on that.
  
  It's up to society to start crying foul over this type of behavior. There is no double standard, and we need to be vocal. However, we are part of the same sue-happy society that needs to blame someone when we will hot coffee on ourselves!
  
  Society has been to lax and has let corporations grow to benefit themselves and not those who support it (employees and consumers.) Why is it that someone, like my father, was making $20 an hour 20 years ago, but the same job in the present pays $8? Factor in everything from a loaf of bread to a gallon of gas costs X dollars more, and you see where we're headed.The US was a stronger,richer nation with a gold backed currency with lil hidden inflation to pummel the worth of the US dollar into the ground.
  
  What we have today is rampant corporate control over government, bureaucracy that not only makes noble houses out already gilded houses but insures there is so much ineptness in government that nothign can change as so the rich can drain the economy for all its worth, see current financial bailout for more information.....

  24.11.2008 12:10 #22

• SProdigy

  Quote:Originally posted by SProdigy: Why is it that someone, like my father, was making $20 an hour 20 years ago, but the same job in the present pays $8?What job is that? I can't think of anything that fits the description...It's called outsourcing and dodging the unions...

  24.11.2008 12:51 #23

• djgizmo

  Doesn't anyone know that Sony Electronics division has very little to ANYTHING to do with Sony Records or Sony Movie studios?

  26.11.2008 23:21 #24

• LordRuss

  Originally posted by djgizmo: Doesn't anyone know that Sony Electronics division has very little to ANYTHING to do with Sony Records or Sony Movie studios?And if you believe that then you still think there is a Santa.
  
  If it weren't part of the corporation, then why on gods earth use the corporate name? They are ALL ENCOMPASSING. The gimmick is to set a standard (within all the aforementioned corporate branches) and then force your proprietary agenda on the masses.
  
  It used to be called a monopoly. I have no idea what they are calling it now, but don't think for an instance that Asian monopoly laws are similar to those of the US or abroad.
  
  Philips used to be an industry standard back when cassette tapes made their move into the marketplace. They did the right thing and gave away the technology with the understanding that EVERYONE follow the standard that they set, thus making it fair for everyone to help move the technology.
  
  It's greed, plain and simple. Sony doesn't want to share, that's why their name is on it. And YOU have to pay to play.
  
  So, no, you're wrong... Sony is one big, dysfunctional, greedy family and they want to make you a member, whether you like it or not...

  28.11.2008 13:18 #25