Apple Buys Patent Portfolio From Failed Home Security Camera Company Lighthouse AI

[Khedron]

Just because Apple bought these patents from a failed security monitoring company does not mean that Apple will only utilize them in its own security gadget. Most of the patents have very broad names and Apple can use them on other gadgets or use cases too.

More likely they bought it to patent troll competitors and weasel out of paying their bills like with Qualcomm.

 

[Kabeyun]

Pretty sad how Apple is subjected to buying out failed projects instead of innovation. Did they run out of ideas? Perhaps they could remove some more much needed ports on their devices?

Yes. Apple has run out of ideas and can’t innovate anymore, as proven by a portfolio purchase. So have all other corporations that have bought IP, since apparently that’s the sign.

Apple is not interested in home security cameras and has no plans for such a product

How does Juli Clover know this?

 

[Mascots]

Members of the consortium are Apple Inc., BlackBerry, Ericsson, Microsoft, and Sony.[4] Rockstar is a patent holding non-practicing entity (NPE) and submitted the winning US$4.5 billion bid for the Nortel patents at a week-long auction held in New York in June 2011.[5]

RC is a joint investment among many companies to purchase and share these patents. It's hardly Apple "setting up companies for troll litigations to hide themselves" as you imply.

In fact, this investment was terrible for Apple's future offensive litigation against other companies:

However, David Smith, director of Rockstar patent sales and acquisitions, said the company is not providing evidence in the Apple suits. In addition, the U.S. anti-trust approval of the Rockstar takeover contained conditions requiring open licensing to prevent unfair competition.

Via: https://web.archive.org/web/2012041...ts+into+gold/6474820/story.html#ixzz5hIf6FTfU

 

[PlainviewX]

Apple, the new patent trolls! /s

 

[BXRich]

I actually think it would be great for Apple to do home security cameras. I use cameras at my house but in the back of my mind I'm thinking if/when it'll be hacked in to (realizing that's in reality it's a needle in a haystack situation) but in terms of privacy and security, I probably trust apple the most..

 

[alexandr]

an apple security system - i'm game

 

[Larryzuluking]

To the author of the article: Based on what do you make this statement? Did Apple state this some where or is this just speculation on your part? You state this as a fact but provide no reference as to how you know.

Yes....I agree. In fact Apple just bought a smart door lock company some time ago. Buying these patents, & the smart lock company seems to show that Apple my be preparing to release there own in home smart products, in house.
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Pretty sad how Apple is subjected to buying out failed projects instead of innovation. Did they run out of ideas? Perhaps they could remove some more much needed ports on their devices?

?

 

[sinsin07]

Pretty sad how Apple is subjected to buying out failed projects instead of innovation. Did they run out of ideas? Perhaps they could remove some more much needed ports on their devices?

Equally sad is your frequent need to bring up ports and headphone jacks in multiple topics that have nothing to do with ports or headphone jacks.
Your gripes have been noted.
Might be time to move on from your Apple port obsession.

 

[CarlJ]

To the author of the article: Based on what do you make this statement? Did Apple state this some where or is this just speculation on your part? You state this as a fact but provide no reference as to how you know.

Agreed, this article was an uneasy mix of fact and opinion. It would have been easy enough to say:

Apple has not made any previous public statements indicating interest in home security cameras.​

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Perhaps  is getting into the business the patent troll companies are in: Buying up patents.

I'd say that buying up patents so you don't get sued is a substantially different business that buying patents in order to sue other companies.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Equally sad is your frequent need to bring up ports and headphone jacks in multiple topics that have nothing to do with ports or headphone jacks.
Your gripes have been noted.
Might be time to move on from your Apple port obsession.

Except, the criticism towards Apple is still valid. So why do you object?

 

[Kabeyun]

Perhaps  is getting into the business the patent troll companies are in: Buying up patents.

No.

Patent trolls.....

No.

More likely they bought it to patent troll competitors and weasel out of paying their bills like with Qualcomm.

No.

Except, the criticism towards Apple is still valid. So why do you object?

Because it has to do with neither the topic of this thread, nor innovation. You just don’t like what they did with your ports and have chosen a double nonsequitur to vent it.

 

[jclo]

To the author of the article: Based on what do you make this statement? Did Apple state this some where or is this just speculation on your part? You state this as a fact but provide no reference as to how you know.

I wrote this based on the fact that there has never been a rumor suggesting Apple is interested in creating a home security camera product. I'm sorry for the confusion and I'll make that more clear in the post.

 

[cynics]

Pretty sad how Apple is subjected to buying out failed projects instead of innovation. Did they run out of ideas? Perhaps they could remove some more much needed ports on their devices?

Thats naive, I could say that about pretty much any large company...

Pretty sad how Google was subjected to buying a failing OS for digital cameras instead of innovations. Did they run out of ideas? Perhaps they could remove some more much needed ports on their devices.

It's just how business works. Patents are bought for various reasons, from companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc it can often be strategic. Google bought motorola mobility to acquire over 17,000 patents and then sold Motorola to Lenovo just so Google could have a strong foothold in the mobile market against Apple and Microsoft suing them (you sue us, we'll sue you). Since patents are usually just small things and details they often want to purchase them to avoid the R&D of reinventing the wheel. Or just to prevent a competitor for getting a hold of patent that could potentially be used in a lawsuit.

"Innovation" at a business level is a lot more convoluted then the definition used around here. Often times, especially with Apple who strives for efficiency you get "intangible outcomes" of innovations. Things that they don't sell per se but innovations for their benefit. Obvious example is the MacBook Air being made out of 100% recycled aluminum. Through their metallurgy team and investment in others they created a new way to recycle aluminum that in will reduce their requirement for raw material.

On a side note, less and less phones are coming with headphone jacks. More and more PC's are coming with USB-C/TB3 ports. Almost seems silly to have another port when you can have one that literally does everything from external graphics, external displays, ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, charging. I thought Apples ideas on physical ports was insane however after buying a couple cables I actually be like there was a push for innovation there. But thats my opinion I understand yours may vary, I respect that.