[Commons-Law] Brutish Telecom

[Sunil Abraham]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/5/31163.html

BT blows out in new patent challenge
By Tim Richardson
Posted: 12/06/2003 at 10:25 GMT
 
BT has begun legal action in the US concerning patents for blowing fibre
optic cables down bores and conduits. 

The action was filed in Delaware earlier this month, reports Light
Reading, against Broadwing Inc., Level 3 Communications Inc., Qwest
Communications International Inc., SBC Communications Inc., Touch
America Holdings Inc., and Verizon Communications Inc.

In a statement to The Register BT has confirmed the legal action
alleging that the named companies have infringed its patents in its
"blown cable patent portfolio". 

The company said: "BT takes the protection of its extensive and valuable
intellectual property assets very seriously. 

"We've approached the companies concerned over the use of the blown
cable patent but in the absence of satisfactory responses have litigated
to enforce our rights." 

BT's "blown cable" technology uses compressed air and other gasses to
blow fibre optic cables down conduits, as opposed to pulling them
through using ropes, for example. 

No doubt BT's action will raise eyebrows among those who saw the UK's
dominant telco make a fool of itself last year by pursuing its "patent"
of hyperlinks. 

That challenge - to get US ISPs to cough up for using hyperlinks - was
thrown out last year by a US judge who ruled that BT's "hidden page"
patent did not cover what we know today as "hyperlinks". BT did not
appeal the decision. ®

-- 
Sunil Abraham, sunil at mahiti.org http://www.mahiti.org
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