Tuesday, November 28, 2006
@11:24 AM
Trek's patent in UK revokedI was running on the
treadmill yesterday when I saw this company -Trek 2000 International- featured on the Money Mind. Here, it's featured on Business Times today. Let me extract part of the article before I comment on this company.
The revocation of Thumb-Drive inventor Trek 2000 International's UK patent for its portable USB data storage device will not affect other patents that it has granted or those that it has applied for in other countries, said its CEO Henn Tan. Mr Tan also told BT that Trek was awaiting a patent grant from the European Union (EU). "If granted, it will cover the EU, which includes UK," he said. Israel-based competitor M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd made an application on Dec 15, 2003, for the patent to be revoked on the grounds that the invention "lacks novelty or an inventive step, that the patent specification does not disclose the invention clearly enough and completely enough for it to be performed by a person skilled in the art and that matter disclosed in the specification of the patent extends beyond that disclosed in the application".First up, when I watch the program yesterday, I felt that this company will not survive past this decade . I may be wrong, but I think the company sells only thumbdrives. I can't help but feel that it's going to be another "typewritter" company which can't move on with time. And like what we learn in class, the company shouldn't be concentrating on just one single product for its revenue.
Another point is the patent issue. Patent may have its use in its commercial sense, but I feel that it should never be used as a source of revenue. Creative sued Apple over its patent and the list won't stop there. Now Trek is suing everyone else as well. Disgusting. Although I respect property right and patent, I feel that companies shouldn't be using this as a tool to generate income. How far can such companies go? Do you think the thumbdrive that you are using now deserve a patent? Think again. Patent is a double-edged sword.
by Str|fe
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