Burst's $10 Million Patent Settlement: Quicktime, iTunes, ... DVR?

[MacRumors]

As a followup to a report from 2006, Apple and Burst.com have settled their patent dispute for $10 million dollars.

Burst.com sued Apple over patent claims involving "the delivery of music or video over the Internet 'faster than real-time.'" This involves the technology involved in streaming and delivering video and audio content on the internet as Apple does with iTunes and Quicktime streaming software.

In the settlement, Apple will pay Burst.com a one-time $10 million license fee for its current patent portfolio. Meanwhile, Burst has one existing and three pending DVR patents that do not fall within this agreement. However, the press release explicitly states that Burst will not sue Apple in the future over these DVR technology patents.


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[Consultant]

Damnit please stop giving in to patent trolls! If no one gave them any money, then they won't have money to sue!

[edcrosay]

I'm suprised they settled. It was for fairly cheap though. The patent appeared pretty bogus.

DVR would make the Apple TV worthwhile. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it had DVR functionality.

[Peace]

Burst has made millions from 3 or 4 companies now.Not just Apple.

[twoodcc]

Originally Posted by edcrosay

DVR would make the Apple TV worthwhile. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it had DVR functionality.

same here. i hope it happens

[nosen]

Originally Posted by Consultant

Damnit please stop giving in to patent trolls! If no one gave them any money, then they won't have money to sue!

No kidding. This is after they had a settlement with Microsoft for $60 million!

[Stella]

Originally Posted by Consultant

Damnit please stop giving in to patent trolls! If no one gave them any money, then they won't have money to sue!

If Burst is a ligit company with a product out there, then they aren't really patent trolls. A patent troll is an entity who buys patents , directly or indirectly, without a product and then starts suing. It would be if another company started using multitouch in the same way as Apple's implementation.

Patents are abused and hamper innovation.

[emw]

I love their website. The main screen contains news links about Burst.com - about 80% of them are legal-related, as opposed to product-related.

[Peace]

Well it seems since 3 companies have settled/licensed Burst technology they have verifiable legal patents.Kudos to them for standing up to the big guys and collecting.

[destroyboredom]

I hope they put that money to good use. Like re-design their website that looks like its 10 years old. May be buy themselves some nice Macs and a graphic designer or two.

[WestonHarvey1]

Originally Posted by twoodcc

same here. i hope it happens

What are you guys really asking for here? You want the Apple TV to have a CableCard or a satellite tuner in it?

That isn't what the Apple TV is. The content source is intended to be iTunes - in that regard, it is already a DVR - for online content. It is a big iPod for your living room. It is a Mac that runs only FrontRow that goes in your living room. There are lots of metaphors for it, but something that records traditional television is not one of them. That's not what it was intended for.

I love mine, probably because I accept it for what it is. I'm not interested in traditional TV anymore - as soon as I can get the cable news channels in some streaming format, I will happily ditch my DirecTV and my Tivo... Tivo is a band-aid solution that bridges the gap between the past and the future. Once all content is IP delivered, we won't need DVRs at all.

I just wish it had iTunes Store. It's on the iPhone, so it is time for it to make the jump.

[Bonte]

Originally Posted by nosen

No kidding. This is after they had a settlement with Microsoft for $60 million!

Apple clearly won this one, Burst had $5 million legal expenses and had to license all there patents to Apple. Not bad

[plumbingandtech]

Interesting.

Better be a HD DVR.

[jeremy.king]

Originally Posted by Bonte

Apple clearly won this one, Burst had $5 million legal expenses ...

Seems the lawyers won to me

[~Shard~]

DVR in the future? That would be great, but Apple would have to implement things such that it wouldn't cannibalize iTMS sales as a result...

[neutrino23]

It seems to me that the technology is way more interesting than the content. I just spent a while looking over the next week's programming on TitanTV and I couldn't find anything I wanted to record. This is with a digital tuner. Off topic but it seems that most channels only show movies on the analog broadcasts. The digital broadcasts have very few movies. This will have to change in a few years when they stop broadcasting in analog.

[happydude]

Originally Posted by edcrosay

I'm suprised they settled. It was for fairly cheap though. The patent appeared pretty bogus.

DVR would make the Apple TV worthwhile. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it had DVR functionality.

the cut off to the outside world in general of appletv (no broadcast/cable/satellite tv capability) is what is keeping me from buying an appletv. if one could hook up the cable line/dvr/whathaveyou, i'd be all in.

[mmcneil]

Whether Burst is a Patent Troll or not - this is another example of a bogus patent issued by the U.S. Patent Office. Not dissimilar from the "One Click" patent and many others - they should not be patenting web & software technologies that build on basic, well understood concepts. Downloading music "faster than real-time" pretty much says it all.

[dashiel]

Originally Posted by WestonHarvey1

What are you guys really asking for here? You want the Apple TV to have a CableCard or a satellite tuner in it?

That isn't what the Apple TV is. The content source is intended to be iTunes - in that regard, it is already a DVR - for online content. It is a big iPod for your living room. It is a Mac that runs only FrontRow that goes in your living room. There are lots of metaphors for it, but something that records traditional television is not one of them. That's not what it was intended for.

I love mine, probably because I accept it for what it is. I'm not interested in traditional TV anymore - as soon as I can get the cable news channels in some streaming format, I will happily ditch my DirecTV and my Tivo... Tivo is a band-aid solution that bridges the gap between the past and the future. Once all content is IP delivered, we won't need DVRs at all.

I just wish it had iTunes Store. It's on the iPhone, so it is time for it to make the jump.

i see this as a strategic move against nbc/universal.

i too only get television through itunes, but at least three shows i subscribed to are no longer available. apple countered the short-sighted move sending a ten-million dollar message effectively saying - "if you don't want to sell your content through us we'll give our users a way to get it for free*"

to be sure it's not the only reason they settled the patent, but it's certainly a very clear threat being sent without officially commenting on future products.

* i know it's not really free, but the content companies' revenue stream is less direct than with the online sales.

[hob]

That's a total joke. I take it they'll also be sueing YouTube, then?

What is the big deal with patents. If nothing was patented, would the world collapse? No.

If something like the iPhone came out without patents, many would try to copy it - but only those with something better would win out. That would be great for the consumer, and also for innovation in general!

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by hob

What is the big deal with patents. If nothing was patented, would the world collapse? No.

If something like the iPhone came out without patents, many would try to copy it - but only those with something better would win out. That would be great for the consumer, and also for innovation in general!

Kay, you invent a new technology that could make you millions of dollars and before you release it I'll steal it, claim it as my own (or simply market it better than you) make all the money and send you a Christmas card for your troubles. Sounds fair to me!

[Raid]

Originally Posted by edcrosay

DVR would make the Apple TV worthwhile. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it had DVR functionality.

I'd buy it too if it had DVR functionality

Originally Posted by WestonHarvey1

What are you guys really asking for here? <snip>

I love mine, probably because I accept it for what it is. I'm not interested in traditional TV anymore - as soon as I can get the cable news channels in some streaming format, I will happily ditch my DirecTV and my Tivo... Tivo is a band-aid solution that bridges the gap between the past and the future. Once all content is IP delivered, we won't need DVRs at all.

WestonHarvey, if you're happy with your purchase that's fantastic. However a few of us (as evidence from the above posts) find TV somewhat lacking, especially if you live in a country that doesn't sell TV content through iTunes. Providing DVR capability through the TV would provide many users with more content (and utility) from the device. THEN I can begin to escape the mold of "traditional TV", and using the simple and elegant platform that is TV ....but until that day comes my $350 is going to remain in my pocket.

[Darkroom]

Originally Posted by WestonHarvey1

What are you guys really asking for here? You want the Apple TV to have a CableCard or a satellite tuner in it?

That isn't what the Apple TV is. The content source is intended to be iTunes - in that regard, it is already a DVR - for online content. It is a big iPod for your living room. It is a Mac that runs only FrontRow that goes in your living room. There are lots of metaphors for it, but something that records traditional television is not one of them. That's not what it was intended for.

I love mine, probably because I accept it for what it is. I'm not interested in traditional TV anymore - as soon as I can get the cable news channels in some streaming format, I will happily ditch my DirecTV and my Tivo... Tivo is a band-aid solution that bridges the gap between the past and the future. Once all content is IP delivered, we won't need DVRs at all.

I just wish it had iTunes Store. It's on the iPhone, so it is time for it to make the jump.

im sorry, but the AppleTV is ass... $299/$399 for an iTunes receiver, a HD and Front Row? please... the AppleTV was specifically designed for yuppies... also, my iPod comes with a screen, did your AppleTV come with a 42" LCD?

until apple includes more useful features like cable/satellite DVR functionality (or even a DVD player!!) into the AppleTV, it'll continue to slide in sales... i can see the apple tv being discontinued easily... maybe it would work in 5-10 years IF the majority of television content is IP delivered (and in countries other than the USA), but until then at least people like you are happy with your AppleTV.

why apple chooses to even market it's Apple TV in their online stores outside of the USA Apple Store is a mystery to me...

[Flobber88]

Originally Posted by hob

What is the big deal with patents. If nothing was patented, would the world collapse? No.

If something like the iPhone came out without patents, many would try to copy it - but only those with something better would win out. That would be great for the consumer, and also for innovation in general!

The world wouldn't collapse but new technology would suck/be non existent. People innovate for the sole purpose of making cash, and if everyone can steal their final products and inventions Apple Inc. would still be just another computer company.

[BRLawyer]

Originally Posted by Stella

If Burst is a ligit company with a product out there, then they aren't really patent trolls. A patent troll is an entity who buys patents , directly or indirectly, without a product and then starts suing. It would be if another company started using multitouch in the same way as Apple's implementation.

Patents are abused and hamper innovation.

And what the hell is Burst doing with its patents, may you tell me? What products do they have?

Patents are IPR monopolies and should only be granted when real use is made of them...unfortunately, the US leads the way is stupidly frivolous software patents...and it's not gonna change anytime soon.