Gizmodo
Columbia University Professor Emeritus Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, the scourge of high-tech companies and freeway drivers, is trying to block imports from Sony, Nokia, Motorola, LG, Matsushita and Samsung, after successfully settling a similar patent lawsuit against Philips last week. The U.S. International Trade Commission is launching an investigation on 30 companies, which will affect products with short-wavelength LEDs and laser diodes that are used everywhere, from mobiles to Blu-ray players:
March 20, 2008 News Release 08-027 Inv. No. 337-TA-640ITC INSTITUTES SECTION 337 INVESTIGATION ON CERTAIN SHORT-WAVELENGTH LIGHT EMITTING DIODES, LASER DIODES AND PRODUCTS CONTAINING SAME
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to institute an investigation of certain short-wavelength light emitting diodes, laser diodes, and products containing same. The products at issue in this investigation are short-wavelength (e.g., blue, violet) LEDs and laser diodes that are used in products such as hand-held mobile devices, instrument panels, billboards, traffic lights, HD DVD players (e.g., Blu-ray disc players), and data storage devices.The investigation is based on a complaint filed by Gertrude Neumark Rothschild of Hartsdale, NY, on February 20, 2008. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States of certain short-wavelength light emitting diodes, laser diodes, and products containing same that infringe a patent owned by Rothschild. The complainant requests that the ITC issue exclusion orders and cease and desist orders.
The ITC has identified the following as respondents in this investigation:
Avago Technologies of Singapore;
Bacol Optoelectonic Co. Ltd. of Taiwan;
Dominant Semiconductors Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia;
Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd., of Taiwan;
Exceed Perseverance Electronic Ind. Co., Ltd., of China;
Guangzhou Hongli Opto-Electronic Co., Ltd., of China;
Harvatek Internaional Inc. of Taiwan;
Hitachi, Ltd., of Japan;
Kingbright Electronic Co., Ltd., of Taiwan;
LG Electronics of Korea;
Lite-On Technology Corp. of Taiwan;
Lucky Light Electronics Co., Ltd., of China;
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., of Japan;
Motorola, Inc., of Schaumburg, IL;
Nokia of Finland;
Opto Tech Corporation of Taiwan;
Pioneer Corporation of Japan;
Rohm Co., Ltd., of Japan;
Samsung Group of Korea;
Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., of Japan;
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd., of Korea;
Sharp Corporation of Japan;
Shenzhen Unilight Electronic Co., Ltd., of China;
Shinano Kenshi Co., Ltd., of Japan;
Sony Corporation of Japan;
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB of Sweden;
Stanley Electric Co., Ltd., of Japan;
Toshiba Corporation of Japan;
Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., of Malvern, PA; and
Yellow Stone Corporation of Taiwan.By instituting this investigation (337-TA-640), the ITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. The case will be referred to the Honorable Paul J. Luckern, an ITC administrative law judge, who will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. Judge Luckern will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.
The ITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time. Within 45 days after institution of the investigation, the ITC will set a target date for completing the investigation. ITC remedial orders in section 337 cases are effective when issued and become final 60 days after issuance unless disapproved for policy reasons by the U.S. Trade Representative within that 60-day period.
Comments
I understand, you're trying to be funny, but referring to an patent-holding emeritus professor as a cake-baking old lady/granny seems unnecessarily derogatory. And implying she's an illegitimate money grubber rather than someone who has a valid patent is wrong. If she invented some tech that money gubbing companies have copied without licensing, they should be called out.
my grandma probably doesnt know ANY of those companies. let alone knows anything about lasers
What about all the sharks with friggin' laser beams on their heads? Why aren't they getting sued too???
you guys jumped way past irreverent into tasteless and offensive with this tagline and title. I'm gonna jump right out this blog today.
dont listen to them, gizmodo, i thought it was funny
@weatherman: @svgjjc:
Yes Jesus, How DARE you try to add some humor into your article. Maybe CNN will appreciate the stick up my butt.
/sarcasm
@weatherman: First, we are not trying to call her a money grabber.
Second, her complaint IS about getting money.
Third, on second thought, yeah, she literally is trying to be a moneygrabber. That's why she sued Philips and settled out of court.
Fourth, and more important, you and I don't have a flying fuck about what the merits of her patents are. Philips may have settled out of court, but many high tech companies do that to avoid dragging lawsuits forever, even if the patents' merits are dubious (because the patent system in this country is fucked up big time.) For all that we know, her patents may not be good at all. Or they may be.
Now, why are you siding with her instead of the corporations? Because she's an old lady and a professor and the corporations are big and evil? How many times have people called other people doing similar claims?
What about all the scientist working at this corporations? They have no merit because they work in a company to make REAL products instead of just theorizing about things? Maybe they developed something it first? Maybe they made things possible? Maybe her patents build on somebody else's previous work, like everything else?
Yet ANOTHER reason for full-on patent reform. This is complete crap!
Serially. Old bat is pissed off making her professor-ly wages. I'm not sure exactly why she's trying to grab some dough, since it seems this is in violation of some nearly 80 year old (I'm betting she has to be a similar age) statute. ... is she reaching for punitive damages? "Oh, mah starz, Ai woz SO offaynded ... I don't knaow haow I weel ayver recuver!"
Damn, I feel like slapping a bat in the teeth. Who knows, maybe she isn't a total bitch.
Oh, nevermind.
@Jesus Diaz: The problem is your attempt to betray a distinguished professor such as Dr. Rothschild as a cookie backing old lady. Bet you wouldn't have done that if she'd been a male professor emeritus.
She may be money grabbing, her patents may or may not have merit, but that's not an excuse for you to project your personal hang ups with successful, intelligent women on to her.
The article itself is fine. By the headline is very patronizing.
Someone's got bingo debt she can't pay off.
@Jesus Diaz: What bothers me is not that you are possibly being offensive of the woman, but that when someone tries to call you out on it, you go off. And it's in nearly all of your posts that you just don't disagree with someone's opinion. Sure they may be wrong or just differ in their views than you but hell, for once just get over it.
@weatherman: Um. What makes you think she didn't (exploit) use her grad students to do the research in the first place? And to use (funds) grants inappropriately? And brings into question (see LCD windows patent concerns) the legality of government-funded research at institutions that allows academics to profit from such "funding".
I for one, am all for proper licensing, and profits from such. But for several cases where the IP was initially created for "greater good under financing as such", to read that some academic (retired no less) has become selfish, is just a finer example that some prof's are just greedy-lazy-superIds who still think some grad student will kisses their arse to get their thesis approved.
why isn't Lite-On in bold font as well, they're a household name as well, no?.
@Jesus Diaz: Yes, neither of us know whether or not her patents are legitimate. But at least one of us has actually looked up a couple of her patents and can say that it does actually look like she did some innovative stuff with process and design in the light emitting semiconductor field. Her patents weren't filed 6 months ago, and they aren't "Amazon 1-click" type patents. They seem to be exactly the kinds of processes that the patent system was designed to protect. And yes, the fact that Philips settled with her does suggest to me that she has a legitimate claim of some sort - Philips doesn't just throw cash around any time someone makes a claim.
I think your understanding of the patent system is pretty narrow and formed by reading examples of the small number of problems that we've had with it. Patents aren't given to people just "theorizing" - you make it sound like Gertrude Homemaker was just baking a cake and said "hmm, I bet if I add some low-temperature atomic hydrogen in the formation process, it will yield a low bipolar resistivity semiconductor." Not the case; Doctor Neumark Rothchild has a PhD and was an emeritus professor in Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics at Columbia. No small achievement, that, so I think it's safe to say that the processes that she developed were the result of lots of hard work and experimentation.
Which brings me back to my original point; whether she has a legitimate patent claim will be settled by the courts, but either way there's no reason to degrade her as a cake-baking old lady. Your attempt to be funny just comes off as derogatory and sexist.
@Jesus Diaz: Are the vulgarity necessary to make your point? Whatever weatherman's argument is valid, he didn't use any offensive language that necessitate your seemingly tasteless defense.
@weatherman:
derogatory and sexist has become common place behavior here (and elsewhere), especially for younger, less experienced, people. too bad. I think it is more powerful and effective to be "right" than "loud and obnoxious".
@weatherman: Oh, please spare me the condescending patent process explanation.
The bottom line here is that you don't find the image of her baking cakes with lasers funny. That's ok. I and other people do. I didn't mean it to be sexist or derogatory in any way. That's you reading between lines from your politically correct mind. I chose to find the funny side of things, and the image of an old lady -no matter her education and achievements- fighting 30 huge corporations makes me smile. It is funny, and the article exaggerates that.
Actually, if you think about it, the only sexist and derogatory statement (against old ladies who bake cakes) is yours, who apparently think that baking cakes and just being an old woman is a bad attribute for a PhD to have.
My view: I just like the idea of a very smart, extremely well-prepared person at her old age doing just that, baking cakes, like any other human being but with lasers, which is her field of expertise.
@tobedetermined: Sorry for the vulgar language. As a foreigner I don't find fuck a strong word. You know, we perv continentals are all the same:
+ Watch video
@weatherman: @skittlzncombos: @svgjjc:
Have any of you guys read Gizmodo before? Being upset at the headline is just plain childish.
Jesus and all of the other writers do a great job of making light of technology. They keep it fun... especially since so many things are horribly boring.
The professor is an older lady. The grandmother jokes were necessary.
Now, why is she a money grubber?
This technology has been used for years. She is cashing in now that the technology companies have used them in all of their products. She could have sued years ago, and stopped this before now. She didn't because she wanted to make more money. That is a money grubber.
If she would have sued when the first product came out, than I would have respected her. It isn't like she didn't see this coming. She made the decision to wait.
Just because someone has degrees or are famous should be no reason not to joke about them.
Just about every famous person who has graced this blog have been made fun of.
She is no different.
@Jesus Diaz: Don't worry about trolls like this. Keep up the good work.
@citizen024: Bingo jet had a Lite On.
(don't carry me too far away)
I don't envy writers on here because presenting technology and stuff in an informative way while trying to remain contemporary seem to be at odds with one another sometimes.
The "hip" way to be is usually going to be to come off like you're too cool to care or to radically oversimplify and dismiss because whatever the heck YOU'RE doing is so valid and cool.
@Jesus Diaz: Awesome video for that song.
I had not seen it before now. THANK YOU!!!
God I hate patents.
@Jesus Diaz: I completely agree. Political correctness is a mental disease, it makes people see hatred and offense and evil where there is none.
And I'm sure Madame PhD's blue-laser-baked cookies are delicious.
Anybody notice in the press release where it said "... HD DVD players (e.g., Blu-ray disc players)"?
You see how they used "HD DVD" as the generic, easy to understand term and then "e.g., Blu-ray disc" to specify a certain type?
Just in case anyone forgot, Sony got away with a big one here. That's right, I said Sony. I don't care about the member companies or any of that crap. It was Sony's baby the whole time and it was their money and sleazy tactics that won it for them.
Sorry for hijacking the thread but holy crap this stuff makes me mad as hell. I'm just glad it's over... for now at least.
@Jesus Diaz: The only reason I read this post was I saw "vulgar langauge" in friends activity, and I had to rush in to check it out (always on the lookout for new vulgarities).
Cute video, I had never seen it before either.
So what I find interesting is that Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., and Motorola are BOTH American Companies so how can they be infringing on an Import issue?
Even if they have overseas plants and factories they still aren't subject to the same laws that Sony or Nokia would be as they are U.S. based_ Makes no sense_
@fsusmithc2: Dude - you go ahead and hold onto your HD DVD player [besides Blu-Ray is easier to remember and HD DVD is too easy to confuse with DVD] and maybe someday there will be a come back of the technology_ Until then I'll enjoy my high def on the better and lasting technology_
Blu-Ray_
Just letting you all know, there aren't any freeways in New York.
@Jesus Diaz: maybe her patents are vaild? did you do any homework on this at all, before condeming her as senile old bitty? Her name is Rothschild do you think that perhaps her family had a couple of bucks to put into scientific devlopment?
Lighten up people, jeez, who has Gizmodo NOT made fun of?
Thanx for the video Jesus, it made my morning. I for one support the occasional use of profanity. I think I stuck up for Jesus months ago when someone went off on him for swearing. If you don't like it, you can leave. Keep up the great journalism Jesus, some of us appreciate it!
@strider_mt2k: Great! Now I have that song stuck in my head!
@Jesus Diaz:
Just wanted to point out that theory is a pretty important part of getting to the "real" products.
Anyway, it seems fairly distasteful for a university professor to be suing a corporation for patent infringement in the first place. While she may intend to funnel that money into funding for her students research projects, one would ideally expect their professor to be working for 'the love of knowledge and learning'. Whether or not she's due the credit.
@wjousts:
How long have you been reading Giz?
Hell inflammatory, degrading and borderline inappropriate or offensive tag lines and posts are at least 1/2 or more of the reason I read Giz everyday! (Well that and all the ultra-sensitive apple fanbois - they rule)
Okay. This IS money grubbing. She is an old bat. She's impeding progress. What's not true about that? Politicians. Damn them all to hell. Damn to hell all you crybabies. Someone kick these feminazis outta here. And Rothschild is a NAME. It probably belongs to more than just a single family with a legitimate background. And do a few bucks constitute exploiting, greedily, an international patent infringement? Obviously she's a bit late on the draw. In a gunfight she'd be dead and rotten at this point. Oh well. Good thing she ain't playing with guns, only with politics. Wait, what am I saying? It's her fault there's a slight impediment on the progress of electronics. For every second she delays Samsung, I believe a slap should be administered.
I hate when people look for ways to make easy money. Sniveling, cowering, hiding behind the lawmaking bodies to exploit a technical fault. Come on. "Well actually sir, sir there's like ... this little thing that like ... maybe sort of validates a claim, and if you'll see here, sir ... sir, I am partially related to this person who once spent their life refining this technology ... so I think I deserve a lot of money because I'm related to them ... -gigglesnort-"
DAMN!
ROCK'N'ROLL FRENCH FRIES!
Oh yeah. And fuck you. I'll fucking swear all the fuck I want. You say sassafras, I'll say shit. They both mean the same thing in that context. Let's not baby down our language because other people are afraid of it.
@MastaFalse: class.
Why only now? Did she only just notice that all these companies had manufactured high-wavelength light-emitting semiconductors?
One again I am both baffled and envious that I didn't invent a 'laser' to 'do stuff'. Seriously, will this nonsense ever end?
All I have to say is that there isn't anything more politically incorrect than political correctness (lets not only see the differences between us, but bring them up as much as possible so as not to offend someone).
I would love to go back in time and slap each and every one of the old non-technology minded politicions at the exact point when they drew up the patent laws we know 2day.
I'm dying, this is too funny! "Columbia University Professor Emeritus Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, the scourge of high-tech companies and freeway drivers,"
@greysky: Haha, I love the irony. You condemn the author for stereotyping the professor, then you bring up her Jewish last name and suggest she must have had money.
She's gonna bake a lot of laser cakes with that money from Philips.
She's going to bake a lot of laser cakes with that Philips money.
If I had a patent, I'd be rich!
your comment system is bonkers today
I just read on SlashDot that this patent infringement will include BD.
[yro.slashdot.org]
I wonder how this is going to affect the BD future dominance or if the BDA will settle out of court or something similar. Are there any expiration dates on patents like this? If there aren't, there should be. No matter what people say, if the outcome of this patent infringement suite didn't involve this professor getting any cash, I guarantee it wouldn't even be an issue.
You know, these companies are all big boys with HUGE legal teams and patent attorneys that look into all manner of things when a product is being developed. They KNOW when they are infringing, they just weigh the possibility of being caught against the likely out of court settlement and if it's acceptable, they procced. It's laughable when these companies cry foul or start screaming patent troll when they get called out on something they KNOW to be true. Just start writing cheques and STFU, you knew what you were getting into when you started down this path. They don't want to enter into negotiations with "small time" patent holders for fear of not getting what they want without paying through the nose.
@Jesus Diaz: Here, here! Well met.
Man, I can't even bake a cake with an oven.
And she's doing it with lasers!
The headline was funny - and if it wasn't, you got to say what you wanted about it.
Can we get some background information about the deal with Phillips? Did they give her a list of competitors that use the same type of technology, or how about a list of suppliers for materials and specialized components that she got to peruse and ear mark for this case.
Phillips was smart, they actually listened to their engineering department (who could possibly have been former students of her) and wrote this one off.
Interesting to see the creators of the Wii not mentioned.
I'm used to stupid teen-nerd jokes from Gizmodo, but this article is beyond that, deep into "deeply, embarrassingly, offensively shitty" territory. I'm really going to have to consider whether I continue letting my clicks enrich a site that demeans a respected university professor simply because she's both female and old, then (in response to comments) emits yet more knee-jerk anti-patent rhetoric.
Jesus, and all the rest: do you know half as much about lasers as this goofy ol' grandma? Can even one of you describe how a laser works, without plagiarizing from Wikipedia? No? Then why not fucking shut up about things that are over your head, and go back to explaining the difference between 720p and 1080i, or why Cylons have big tits.